Mohun Bagan start as firm favourites when they face Odisha FC in an ISL-12 match at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.
Fresh from their emphatic 5-1 win over Mohammedan Sporting, Bagan face a team that was not sure about participating in the league even a couple of months back.
The match will hold a special feeling for Bagan coach Sergio Lobera who was at the helm of Odisha FC till November last year.
Bagan have been hit by a partial stadium ban by the All India Football Federation for recurring fan misbehaviour. However, Bagan management has decided to make it a free entry for fans on Friday.
Bagan's Brazilian player Robson suffered an injury during the Mohammedan Sporting match and was taken off in the first half. He had, however, scored two goals in that match by then. It remains to be seen if he will be fit for Friday's match.
Odisha FC have one foreigner in their ranks, their captain Carlos Delgado. "That does not mean Odisha FC will be an easy match for us," Lobera said at a news conference on Wednesday.