Kolkata: Two former champions, Indian Super League (ISL) club East Bengal and I-League winners Gokulam Kerala, meet in the second quarterfinal of the 132nd Durand Cup on Friday, hoping to make the most of their chances and advance to the semis.
The clash at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) will be between two teams that are at the opposite end of the spectrum.
East Bengal have won the Durand Cup 16 times, the joint highest, and led the head-to-head 3-2 in six previous encounters against the Malabarians.
The last game between the two ended in a draw but Gokulam ousted the Kolkata giants the last time they met in the semifinals of this very tournament, before going on to win it in 2019.
Given the history and the footballing cultures that the two sides represent, it is sure to be a needle clash at the VYBK come Friday evening in front of roaring packed stands.
On Thursday, both coaches shared their thoughts after final training ahead of the big day.
Carles Cuadrat, the East Bengal manager, said, “The stakes are obviously higher in the knockouts, but I believe in taking one match at a time. We faced some strong opponents in the group stage. Doing well against them has boosted our confidence. Gokulam were the champions of their group, so a tough match awaits us at the VYBK tomorrow. Our fans will surely fill the stadium with their Joy East Bengal chants.”
That confidence was boosted several times over with the win in the Kolkata derby and Emami East Bengal do look the side currently on the upswing.
Notwithstanding the final group game loss to Bengaluru FC, Gokulam Kerala have also done more than enough to claim their deserving place in the last eight.
Said Domingo Oramas, their head coach, ahead of the game, “We will play against a big team, ISL players and in their city, but we are excited and we are preparing the match to do all our best. We need to be compact in defence and brave and attacking for a good performance. We want to enjoy and give happiness to our supporters.”
While Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nandhkumar, Siverio, Saul Crespo and Cleiton Silva are some of the players to look out for in the East Bengal ranks, the likes of Sreekuttan, Sourav, Noufal, Nili Perdomo and Alex Sanchez are likely to cause the maximum impact for Gokulam.
–IANS