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Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Bengaluru FC clash in the 2024-25 Indian Super League final with eyes on their second ISL trophy. Old rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Bengaluru FC face off at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Saturday. Their storied clashes over the past decade set the stage for arguably one of Indian football’s marquee clashes in recent memory.
The sides have already faced off thrice, with the Mariners having the edge this season. Mohun Bagan Super Giants suffered a 0-3 loss, one of only two in the entire ISL 2024-25 league phase, away at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium, while Bengaluru FC lost by a solitary goal in the reverse fixture at the Salt Lake Stadium. The first time the teams faced off was in the season-opening Durand Cup, where the Mariners clinched the semi-final on penalties.
Given the occasion, fans can expect the gloves to come off in the ISL final. Mohun Bagan SG have managed the impossible by defending their League Shield title and are looking to be just the second team in the ISL to win the double. The Mariners have won the ISL title in the 2022-23 season and narrowly missed the double last season.
In fact, Mohun Bagan has reached the ISL final three seasons in a row. Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, won the ISL trophy in their second season in the competition and have finished runners-up twice – in 2017-18 and 2022-23. The last time the two sides met in the summit clash, Mohun Bagan edged out Bengaluru FC on penalties.
Past Vs History The fact that no team has managed to win a final at home, even after 10 years of the competition, is startling. Mohun Bagan know it all too well. Coach Jose Molina, though, is not worried.
“I don’t care about what happened in the past. I am trying to do my best for Mohun Bagan Super Giant. We did well to win the League Shield, and we are motivated to win the ISL Cup too.
I don’t need extra motivation from the fact that we lost the final last year. We are already motivated enough," Molina said at the pre-match press conference in Kolkata on Friday. Bengaluru FC boss Gerard Zaragoza recalled the date April 11 when Mohun Bagan thrashed his side 4-0 at their home last season, and that is something that he has not forgotten.
“We are very motivated for the finals and excited for the game. Everything is fine. We are confident, and Kolkata is almost like our second home, because we were here for the Durand Cup.
We had a good playoffs and we are looking forward to the grand finale," he said at the pre-match press conference. Chhetri Conundrum BFC coach said Sunil Chhetri is a ‘headache’ as the Indian football legend wants to compete to win at everything. “The problem is that he returned to the national team and he played almost 180 minutes (across two games against Maldives and Bangladesh), and then we have now four games in a row.
I need to balance my players. We played 90 minutes more than them (Mohun Bagan, owing to the fact that Bengaluru FC had to play an extra playoff). I hope that tomorrow will be his night," he added.
Home Support Bengaluru’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is looking forward to playing in the final in the city where it all began for him some 16 years back. “As you know, my journey as a professional footballer started here, and I was very lucky to be getting opportunities to play matches from the beginning. I am grateful for the journey.
If you get an opportunity to play big games, big finals, in front of big crowds as a player, it’s a great experience and I am lucky to be here for the match in Kolkata," Gurpreet said. Mohun Bagan SG skipper Subhasish Bose, meanwhile, is looking forward to playing in front of his home crowd and his home stadium. “I am always thrilled to play in front of our home fans.
I wish that the fans support us wholeheartedly against Bengaluru," he said..
