I-League 2015/16 preview– Mohun Bagan favorite against injury-hit Salgaocar; Aizawl to host Bengaluru in their first home game

Mohun Bagan v Salgaocar FC

Mohun Bagan and Salgaocar made contrasting starts to their campaign in the first gameweek. The home side defeated I-League debutantes Aizawl FC 3-1 with Cornell Glen scoring a brace. However, the defending champions looked far from their best with Aizawl dominating most of the second half.

Salgaocar, on the other hand, suffered a 1-2 defeat against Federation Cup winner Bengaluru FC. The injury-hit Goan side were second best throughout the game, with the performance of Jackichand being the only bright spot.

Team news

Luciano Sabrosa, who missed the first game due to problems with his visa, has finally arrived in Kolkata, and could play a part in this game. Midfielder Lenny Rodrigues is still struggling with a groin strain, and is expected to be out for one more week. The big news though, is the return of Mohun Bagan's player of the season last time around, Sony Norde.

The Haitian missed the opening match due to international commitment. He was an unused sub in Haiti's 1-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, which booked their place in the Copa America, to be held in United States later this year.

Mohun Bagan's new signings Jeje and Pronay Halder have also joined the squad, and should be available for selection.

Both Raju Gaikwad and Subash Singh are still short of match fitness, and are unlikely to be a part of the starting lineup. Bikramjit Singh reportedly picked up a slight foot injury ahead of the last game, but the midfielder surprisingly featured as a substitute.

Malky Thompson, Salgaocar's manager, has confirmed that Darryl Duffy has returned to full fitness, and he will lead the line for the Goan side. However, their remaining two foreigners, Cavin Mbarga and Scottish midfielder Martin Scot remain injured.

Thongkhosiem Haokip has completed his move to Salgaocar, but the forward will not feature in this game. Both Gabriel Fernandes and Seityasen Singh are also injured, which means Jackichand Singh will once again have to shoulder a lot of responsibility in attack.

Prediction

Mohun Bagan 2-1 Salgaocar

The home side have won just one of their last five matches against Salgaocar, but currently they have a much stronger squad than Salgaocar, who have been affected by host of injuries.

Aizawl FC v Bengaluru FC

The Mizoram-based team will host their first-ever home game, at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium in Aizawl, and they will be facing Bengaluru FC in what is expected to be an entertaining fixture. Despite the 1-3 scoreline in their opening game against Mohun Bagan, Aizawl had a lot of positives to take away, as they produced a spirited second-half display. Manuel Retamero, manager of Aizawl, believes that his boys can show their 'true potential' against the Fed Cup champions.

Despite the 2-1 scoreline, it was a fairly comfortable win for Bengaluru FC in the opening round against Salgaocar, with Sunil Chhetri once again proving to be the difference. On paper, they are the favorites to win this tie against an inexperienced Aizawl side, but Ashley Westwood is not underestimating their opponents.

Team News

Aizawl will still be without the service of their ace striker Lalrinpuia, who is yet to recover from an injury. However, Lalbiakhlua could return to the starting lineup.

Bengaluru will once again miss the services of midfielder Joshua Walker, who missed the game against Salgaocar and is yet to recover from a knee injury. Coach Ashley Westwood is unlikely to make many changes to the XI that took the field against Salgaocar, and 18-year old midfielder Malsawmzuala will once again start in the centre of the midfield.

Prediction

Aizawl FC 1-2 Bengaluru FC

With a vociferous home support behind their back, expect Aizawl to produce another peppy display. However, without their first-choice striker, they do not seem to have enough goals in them at the moment. Bengaluru have enough quality in them to get a hard-fought result from this possibly tricky away trip.