"The question of East Bengal winning this game does not even arise" - Mohun Bagan supporters ebullient about repeating history in derby

Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take on East Bengal in a third-round fixture in Group A of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

This is a crunch fixture for both teams as the winner will top the group and qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament. Both teams are tied for first position in the group at the moment with six points in their kitty.

Several Mohun Bagan supporters, who have travelled to cheer their team on in this game in Bhubaneswar, spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda and were their usual ebullient selves.

For Ranjan Halder, 29, there can be no thought more far-fetched than Mohun Bagan losing this derby to East Bengal. The IT professional is confident about his side's performance.

"The question of East Bengal winning this game does not even arise. We are much stronger than them and will showcase it to them. They are not even at the same level as us. I don't think they will put up a challenge. We will steamroll them, win this derby and qualify for the semifinal of the Super Cup. Let alone qualify for the semifinal, Mohun Bagan will not go back to Kolkata without the Super Cup trophy in their bags," he said.

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"When was the last time East Bengal beat us comprehensively?" - ask stupefied Mohun Bagan supporters

An entire family of Mohun Bagan supporters waiting for the gates of the Kalinga Stadium to open.

To be fair to the supporters of the Mariners, they do have a point when they say that they have historically held sway over East Bengal.

The Torchbearers have rarely been at their best against the Mariners in the recent past, and despite the days of glory in the 70s and 80s, they have not been able to live up to expectations and pressure that a derby- of such big stature- invariably brings.

Kanchan Pal, 54, knows a thing or two about Mohun Bagan. The club runs in his family - he is the third generation life membership holder- and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to cheering for his side.

"When was the last time East Bengal beat us comprehensively? Yes, they defeated us in the group stage of the Durand Cup, but we repaid the insult by beating them in the final of the same and winning the trophy. It is going to be the same tonight as well. I think we will beat them by a comfortable margin," he said.

Chandni Banerjee, 47, is no ordinary homemaker. She balances running a fan club for the Mariners in her locality along with managing her family.

On vacation in the nearby coastal resort town of Puri, Banerjee chose to make the detour to Bhubaneswar to witness the derby.

"I don't remember East Bengal beating us in the recent past, excepting the group stage game in the Durand Cup. That, as I said, was an exception. We will beat them quite comfortably today and qualify for the semifinal. We had to face a lot of insults when we lost to them in that group stage game but paid them back by beating them in the final. We are not going to let them rest easy after we have beaten them tonight and showcased Mohun Bagan's supremacy," she said.

For all expectations that the supporters of the Mariners have, one can only hope that they are not misplaced.