East Bengal and Odisha FC will take the field on Sunday, January 28 in the Kalinga Super Cup final in their bid to win the trophy. Both teams have been in immaculate form in the tournament, seeing out tough opponents with ease. Let’s take a look at the road to finals of both Indian Super League teams.
East Bengal FC began their Kalinga Super Cup campaign on a super note, winning a thriller 3-2 against Hyderabad FC. The Red & Gold Brigade followed it up with another convincing 2-1 win against Sreenidi Deccan FC. However, the highlight of their tournament came against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant in season’s first Kolkata Derby. Carles Cuadrat’s men came back from behind to beat Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 to send East Bengal’s numerous supporters over the moon. East Bengal faced Jamshedpur FC in the semi-final but the Red Miners proved no match for Cuadrat’s side as they went on to attain a comfortable 2-0 victory.
Odisha FC, on the other hand, have been equally dominant in the tournament. Sergio Lobera’s team won by a solitary goal in their first match against Bengaluru FC. Ahmed Jahouh scored the only goal of the match. Their most convincing result came in their second group stage match against Inter Kashi. Odisha brushed aside the I-League side 3-0. The third group stage match against FC Goa was a close affair, with Lobera’s team carving out a 3-2 win. Mumbai City FC gave a strong fight to Odisha FC in the semi-final of the Kalinga Super Cup. But Lobera’s side maintained their composure to win by a solitary goal scored by Diego Mauricio.
Both teams have been unbeaten in the tournament, with Odisha FC unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions. Will Lobera’s men be able to lift the trophy? We’ll have to wait less than 24 hours to find out.
