- WILLIS DEON PLAZA/LALRINDIKA RALTE (EAST BENGAL) VS SUBHASHISH BOSE/PRITAM KOTAL (MOHUN BAGAN)
After missing 5 sitters against Bengaluru FC, Willis Plaza finally seems to be arriving in the Indian football scenario with 2 goals against Mumbai FC, followed by a goal against Chennai City FC in the last 2 matches. He has got a very good compatriot in the form of Lalrindika Ralte and Trevor Morgan seems to have given them the nod to switch wings at will. But in the Kolkata derby, they will be coming up against one of Indiaas best full-backs in Pritam Kotal, and a rising U22 player, Subhashish Bose, who has caught the attention of the media with his performances. While Ralte and Plaza prefer to cut inside from the midfield, before setting off the strikers, Pritam Kotal likes to maintain a high line and press his opposition wing backs and wing halves into their own half before going on the overlap. There are still some flaws in Subhashishas game, but given this is his first season at the top level, the left back is doing a brilliant job in thwarting the opposition wingers and setting up goals for his team-mates by going on the overlap. However, it will be a no nonsense task defending against Plaza and Ralte and the Bagan full-backs must be on their toes for the entire duration of the match if they want to keep the opposition on their knees.
