Battling relegation, a desperate Mohammedan Sporting will be smarting from their big defeat to East Bengal as they face Rangdajied United, who will be playing their penultimate I-League fixture at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here tomorrow.
With just one victory from their last 10 matches, Sporting have the fewest points, worst offensive record and suffered the most defeats in the I-League as they find themselves on the edge of relegation.
Sporting lost 1-3 to local rivals East Bengal last week and their twin success of the Durand Cup and IFA Shield is not showing in their I-League performance.
Having made the top tier league after four seasons, Sporting trail Rangdajied United by six points but have played two games less and thus this is their chance to close the gap and put pressure on the Shillong club.
The Kolkata club won the reverse fixture 3-0 back in October and thus will have an edge over Rangdajied in terms of the head-to-head record if they do the double.
But Rangdajied are a much stronger team now than they were earlier in the season as the I-League debutants have Nigerian star striker Ranti Martins in their ranks.
Ranti has netted seven goals in six games, while the experiences players like Gouramangi Singh, Steven Dias and Tomba Singh have helped out their young squad immensely.
"We have to keep an eye on Ranti of course but they have other good players too. What will be more important is our own performance. We have to give everything and somehow take all three points," Mohammedan coach Sanjoy Sen said.
While Sporting will have to win their remaining three games, a draw in this match will be a decent result for Rangdajied.
The north-east club won three straight matches in March but the home defeat to Sporting Clube in the last game has kept them in the battle for survival.
Coach Herring Shangpliang would be looking to ensure their safety before concluding their I-League campaign in the local derby with Lajong on April 21.
