East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat on Thursday expressed confidence on his team ahead of the crucial East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant derby in the Kalinga Super Cup on Friday. 2024’s first Kolkata Derby will be played away from the Mecca of Indian football. The two teams will lock horns in the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha. The derby will be crucial for both teams as the winner will book their spot in the Kalinga Super Cup semi-final.
Ahead of the match, Cuadrat said he is happy with the way his team is performing. He added that they have been unlucky in ISL so far.
“I think we deserve more points in the ISL than we have. We have been very unlucky in the games. Nothing has changed. The players’ attitude is the same and (I am) very happy the way we are performing in the tournament,” he said in the pre-match press conference.
East Bengal’s eternal rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant are missing a few key players in the derby. The likes of Manvir Singh and Liston Colaco are away with the national team. Cuadrat was asked if that would provide an added advantage for East Bengal. He said, “We have players in the national team as well, and they are very important players. We are training good and we know there are a lot of things happening in Indian football. We will have to be very focused in the game and get into the semifinals.”