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16-time Champions East Bengal FC will take on tournament debutants Rajasthan United FC in Group B of the 2022 Durand Cup at Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday, August 25.
East Bengal kicked off their campaign with an exasperating 0-0 draw against the Indian Navy on Monday. After a sluggish first half, the Red and Gold Brigade saw plenty of the ball and started to dominate proceedings, but just weren't clinical enough in front of goal.
Captain Sumeet Passi and Suhair VP missed two big opportunities which could've handed former Indian national team coach Stephen Constantine all three points on his managerial debut for East Bengal.
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Rajasthan United FC, on the other hand, savored a magical Durand Cup debut against the other Kolkata giants ATK Mohun Bagan FC with a 3-2 victory last Saturday.
The I-League side went behind twice but drew level on both occasions thanks to goals from Bektur Amangeldiev and Fanai Lalremsanga. Pushpender Kundu's men made the most of the few opportunities they had going forward and took advantage of ATK Mohun Bagan's sloppiness in defense.
In the 95th minute, with the score locked at 2-2, Rajasthan United executed a perfect team move wrapped up by 17-year-old Gyamar Nikum to seal the most memorable win in the club's brief history.
Rajasthan United will feel they've now got a real chance of progressing into the quarter-finals from this group of death, which also contains former ISL champions Mumbai City. They will first need to overcome an East Bengal side desperate to bag all three points ahead of the big Kolkata derby on Sunday (August 28).
On that note, let's take a look at three key player battles that can determine which way the contest goes.
#3 Lalchungnunga (EB) vs Martín Cháves (RUFC)
Young defender Lalchungnunga made a good impression on his East Bengal debut against the Indian Navy with his no-nonsense interceptions and ball-playing abilities. The 21-year-old centre-back was signed on loan from Sreenidi Deccan FC and was one of the best defenders in the I-League last season.
Martín Cháves is Rajasthan United’s big-name signing for the season. The former NorthEast United attacking midfielder was an unused substitute against ATK Mohun Bagan. He will be oozing with confidence after seeing his teammates clinch a sensational win and will be raring to go against East Bengal.
Cháves is a quick player who thrives in one-on-one situations, so it will be intriguing to see how Chungnunga sets himself up against the Uruguayan.
#2 Alex Lima (EB) vs Bektur Amangeldiev (RUFC)
The midfield battle between East Bengal's Alex Lima and Rajasthan United's Bektur Amangeldiev will be one to keep an eye out for. Both these foreigners are new signings for their respective clubs, but Lima has plenty of Indian football experience. The Brazilian made 41 appearances for Jamshedpur FC over the past two seasons, winning the ISL League Winners Shield last term.
Lima featured as a second-half substitute against Navy and exerted control over the midfield, but didn't have much luck going forward. Amangeldiev, instead, had a debut to remember as he scored Rajasthan's first-half equalizer and worked tirelessly for the entire match.
#1 Suhair VP (EB) vs Aydar Mambetaliev (RUFC)
Suhair VP was a bit of a hit-and-miss on his Durand Cup debut for East Bengal. The former NorthEast United winger was good on the ball and made decent overlapping runs but couldn't form the right connection with his teammates. He also missed a major tap-in chance from close range in the dying moments.
Suhair will be keen to turn things around against Rajasthan United, while the I-League side will be banking on skipper Aydar Mambetaliev to deal with him. The Kyrgyz centre-back had a positive start to life in India, making plenty of fine blocks and interceptions against the incisive ATK Mohun Bagan offense.
Suhair and Mambetaliev are the leaders in attack and defense respectively for their sides, which is why this could be the most crucial player battle of the fixture.
