Mohun Bagan Super Giant coach Jose Molina does not believe his team will start as favourites against East Bengal when the arch-rivals square off in the ISL-XI derby at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. Bagan have a clear edge against East Bengal, who are yet to log a point after four matches, but the Spaniard — Molina will have a taste of the Calcutta derby for the first time — has a different take on that.

“It doesn’t matter how teams arrive at a derby. If people think we’re favourites, then thank you very much. It means we are playing well. But that doesn’t matter. The most important thing is what we can do tomorrow (Saturday) in 90 minutes or 100 minutes (with injury time). I respect everyone, but I’ll ensure that we do our best,” he said at the pre-match news conference at the Mohun Bagan tent on Friday.

Since Indian football’s two most popular clubs joined the ISL, they have played each other eight times, with Bagan winning seven and one ending in a draw. “It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. The most important thing for us is to focus on the present. What happened in the past won’t help us win the derby. What will enable us to win is what we can do on the pitch. That is what we must focus on,” Molina added.

Bagan, despite the array of talent at their disposal, have not been able to steamroll their opponents in the ongoing league. The last match against Mohammedan Sporting though gave a hint that Molina might have finally found a way to gel this expensively-assembled side. Greg Stewart and Jamie Maclaren looked in good form and in the midfield Anirudh Thapa and Apuia Ralte also were in their elements.

Thapa is blossoming this season after a not-so-impressive first year with the green- and-maroon brigade, and much will depend on how he performs on Derby day. Another player who holds the key for Bagan is the central defender Alberto Rodriguez.

The Spaniard played for the entire duration against Mohammedan Sporting, and that was one of the reasons why Bagan kept a clean sheet for the first time in the ongoing league. Rodriguez, 31, had an injury scare after the Mohammedan Sporting match but has recovered just in time. “All the players are available for this crucial match,” Molina informed.

East Bengal are in the pits at least for the time being.

A season which promised so much has gone haywire with the team losing six matches on the trot in all competitions.

East Bengal defenders Hector Yuste and Anwar Ali Picture courtesy: East Bengal's Facebook page

This was not what the team management envisaged during the transfer window. They made some smart signings and for a change, the fans thought this ISL would finally bring reasons to smile.

Instead, it’s the same despair. Carles Cuadrat left to make way for the new coach Oscar Bruzon who would be on the bench hours after touching down in the city.

The team’s confidence is at its lowest ebb and the loss against Jamshedpur FC before the international break is a case in point. East Bengal created chances galore, missed a penalty — Saul Crespo was the culprit — and saw the hosts walk away with three points. “We need one good match to make a turnaround,” interim coach Bino George said at the club tent. “It’s all in the mind,” agreed Spaniard Crespo.

East Bengal’s defence would have two players who had donned the Bagan jersey last season. Anwar Ali and Hector Yuste will brace for a busy evening on Saturday dealing with the likes of Manvir Singh, Stewart and Maclaren.

Pressure will be on Anwar whose transfer dispute is yet to be resolved.

“If I were at his place I would have shut out the outside world,” Bagan captain and Anwar’s India teammate Subhasish Bose said.

“Forget the distractions and just focus on the game,” he added. “Anwar is 100 per cent ready for this match,” Crespo said.