The summit clash of the Durand Cup 2022 is almost here. Two ISL giants, namely, Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC, will be facing each other in the final with an eye for silverware. Both teams played some scintillating football on their way to the final. The final is poised to be a great game, thanks to the presence of superstars like Sunil Chhetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Sandesh Jhingan, Greg Stewart, Ahmed Jahouh, Roy Krishna etc. across both teams.
After the century-old tournament’s revival last year, this year saw it grow in terms of competition, format, and stature significantly. Hence, both Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City will be desperate to win the Durand Cup 2022 before the onset of Indian Super League.
Mumbai City FC – This is the Islanders’ first ever participation in the tournament. They have surely made their mark by advancing into the final straightaway. They would now be looking forward to adding another trophy to their trophy cabinet. Mumbai’s journey in the tournament has been fascinating. They were in group B, regarded as the group of death, with ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal FC.
Mumbai City FC qualified for the knockouts in style by topping the group. Their knockout journey was also highly exciting as they defeated Chennaiyin FC 5-3 in the quarters and Mohammedan SC in the semis via a last-minute goal. Hence, they would look to continue the momentum and get the better of Bengaluru FC in the final.
Bengaluru FC – The Blues have now reached the final of all major domestic tournaments in the country. In this edition of the Durand, they have shown remarkable consistency. They are yet unbeaten in the tournament, with two draws and four wins. They would be keen to carry forward this consistency in the summit clash as well.
With the club winning almost everything that Indian football system has to offer, the Durand Cup is a major missing. Hence, they would like to clinch the title this time around. With the likes of Sunil Chhetri and Roy Krishna among goals, the Blues’ fans can hope to add yet another trophy to their cabinet.
Team News
As per reports, none of the teams are facing any injury or suspensions. The fans will be eagerly waiting to see two of the strongest ISL sides field their strongest and preferred playing eleven for the summit clash in the Durand Cup.
Head-To-Head Records
To date, Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC have met 10 times across all competitions. Mumbai have won five times while Bengaluru have won on four occasions. One of the matches was a draw. In these fixtures, Mumbai has scored 16 goals and Bengaluru has scored 17 goals.
Probable Starting Lineups
IFTWC’s Match Predictions
Despite the differing league positions and the fact that these sides are separated by seven points, the battle between the sides is reasonably close with Mumbai who can be backed at even odds our fancy to get the victory here. The wheels have fallen off the Mumbai wagon slightly as they have only just won one of their last five matches and taken a total of just five points from the last fifteen available.
Mumbai have the third best home record in the league and will be looking to improve that record here. Bengaluru are on a four match unbeaten run but have also just won one of their last five matches. Away from home they have taken just four points out of a possible fifteen. It could be a close game between two teams who really need a win, but we have to side with the home side to get the victory here.
In hoping for a high scoring game, we will be backing both teams to find the back of the net here. Despite sitting at the top of the table Mumbai have only kept two clean sheets in their last five matches which has seen both teams score in three of their last five matches. It’s a similar tale for Bengaluru who have seen both teams score in four of their last five matches.
When these sides have met both teams have scored in four of their last five contests. We think this match has the capacity to be exceptionally high scoring and have to back both teams to find the back of the net. We predict it to be a 2-1 win for Bengaluru FC.
Match Details And Telecast News
Fixture: Mumbai City FC vs Bengaluru FC (Durand Cup Grand Finale)
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Date and Kickoff Time: 18th September from 6 PM onwards
Streaming Platform: Voot App/Website and Jio TV
Telecast Channel: Sports 18 1 SD & HD as well as Sports 18 Khel (Hindi commentary)
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