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ISL: East Bengal frontrunners among five in fray for title
The current leaders need a win against Inter Kashi to win their first Indian league title in 22 years
Kolkata: “I will sleep beautifully. I have a dream so I will need to.” With that Oscar Bruzon swatted away talk of pre-game nerves ahead of East Bengal’s most important match in 22 years, one which can end their wait for a first Indian league title. And a third in a different country for the 48-year-old Spaniard who has won leagues in Maldives and Bangladesh before.
The equation for the current toppers of Indian Super League (ISL) season 12 is the simplest: win against debutants Inter Kashi on Thursday and it will be their first title since the 2003-04 National Football League. Every other team in contention will need to win and hope East Bengal drop points on the final day to have a shot at winning for the ₹1.25 crore top prize.
That said, Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Sergio Lobera would be speaking for every team in the fray when he spoke of the need to stay positive. “There’s one more game. Anything can happen. We will leave everything on the pitch,” said Bagan striker Dimitrios Petratos.
Lobera didn’t rule out playing all four foreign attackers if Jason Cummings passes a fitness test. The Australian striker trained on Wednesday.
Only defending champions Mohun Bagan can get to East Bengal’s possible maximum of 26 points if they beat Sporting Club Delhi at Salt Lake stadium in one of the four simultaneous 7.30pm kick-offs. But East Bengal have a superior goal difference of +5 going into the 13th round. Since the Kolkata derby ended 1-1, goals scored will be considered. East Bengal lead on that metric, 28 to Bagan’s 21. If that is equal, fair play rankings, compiled after every match by the match commissioner, will be considered followed by the draw of lots by All India Football Federation.
Either of Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC can get to 25 points and for them to be champions, the Kolkata teams will need to draw or lose. Jamshedpur FC, who host Odisha FC, can get to 24 points. They can be champions if Punjab-Mumbai ends in a draw and both Kolkata clubs lose. Jamshedpur have a better head to head against East Bengal. They drew with Mohun Bagan who have a goal difference of +8 while Jamshedpur’s is +5.
Bruzon said East Bengal, whose best finish in ISL was ninth till this term, have finally closed the gap with the rest. He said he didn’t remember a match where the opponents were superior. “Tomorrow, we have the chance to end a beautiful year.” Whoever wins, it will, in the words of Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, be a wonderful final day to a season that didn’t look like it would begin.
