"Bhubaneswar will be painted red and golden tonight!" - East Bengal supporters confident of win over Mohun Bagan in derby | Kalinga Super Cup 2024

East Bengal and Mohun Bagan face off against each other in the third round of Group A in the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Both these teams are wary of the threat the other poses, and that is what makes the derby so exciting.

History plays little role in deciding what the outcome will be on the night, and no one knows it better than the horde of supporters who have travelled from various parts of West Bengal to the capital city of Odisha to cheer their team on.

Several East Bengal supporters spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda and expressed their hopes and aspirations for the game ahead.

Rajnish Bhaduri, 43, lives in Barasat, West Bengal, and has travelled to Bhubaneswar specifically for the match. East Bengal is what he lives for, and rarely does he miss a match when the Torchbearers are playing.

"It is going to be a good game for sure, and I am hopeful of a win. I think we will win 2-0. I don't think Mohun Bagan will be able to put goals past us. I can also predict our scorers- Hizaji Maher and Nandhakumar Sekar. Mohun Bagan have a good side and I expect an even battle, but it will not be easy for them to put goals past us," he said.

Sudeshna Sanyal, 28, who lives in Lake Town, Kolkata, has also travelled explicitly to cheer for East Bengal. The young marketing professional wears the club's colours with a storied sense of pride.

"In a life filled with uncertainty, it is these derbies that give us some joy. We are filled with hope and expect a strong performance from our side. I think Mohun Bagan will give us a tough fight but they will not be able to beat us. I am positive about our performance. Bhubaneswar will be painted red and golden tonight!" she said.

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"We will cheer our lungs out" - East Bengal supporters

A special abled East Bengal supporter at the Kalinga on Friday.

East Bengal last won against Mohun Bagan in the group stage of the Durand Cup played earlier this season. However, that win was nullified when the Mariners beat them in the final 1-0 and took home the prized trophy.

For several East Bengal supporters, that is a loss that has been hard to take and one that they are keen to avenge. They would like nothing better than to see their team win this game by a big scoreline.

The stakes are extremely high in this fixture on Friday, as the winner will go through to the semi-final of the Kalinga Super Cup by topping Group A. Both teams have six points to their name at the moment.

Ambarish Saha, 19, takes the defeat faced in the aforementioned final extremely seriously. The undergraduate student will give anything it takes to see his team win.

"We have a strong outfit although we are missing (Naorem) Mahesh Singh and Lalchungnunga due to the AFC Asian Cup. Yes, Mohun Bagan have a strong team as well but I am sure that our players will avenge the defeat we faced in the final of the Durand Cup. This is going to be a very exciting game, and we will cheer our lungs out for East Bengal," he said.

Both teams are coming into the match on the back of victories and will go all out to top the group.