Sao Paulo captain Marcos Antonio (left) and goalkeeper Mateus Junior during a practice session at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: An amusing speculation is doing rounds at the Maidan ever since Sao Paulo’s Samba magicians have landed in the city. First, the 3-0 victory over East Bengal, then 6-0 versus Mohammedan Sporting, and now, will it be 9-0 against Mohun Bagan?

Sao Paulo coach Antonio Carlos Silva laughed at the suggestion on Saturday and made it clear that for him numbers are tools, not rules.

“No body can predict the result of a football match. We have full respect for the opponents and we’ll play to our potential against them,” the Brazilian said through an interpreter after a light practice session at the Salt Lake Stadium.

This, however, might lead one to the age-old question: Why are numbers beautiful? Simple, it’s like asking why is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony beautiful.

More than a battle between the David and Goliath, Sunday’s Super Soccer series clash between the most successful club of the most successful soccer nation and Mohun Bagan would be a reflection on how poorly we may stand exposed to the basics of the game.

Asked if an upset is possible, Mohun Bagan captain Jose Ramirez Barreto, himself a Brazilian, replied with a smile: “Do I really need to introduce Sao Paulo to you? They are head and shoulders above any Indian club.”

For his coach and another Brazilian, Robson, this is nothing but an opportunity to build confidence ahead of the next round of the National Football League (NFL).

“We are going to miss a lot of key players in the match. Eduardo Coelho, Fabio, Mehrajuddin Wadao, Gautam Debnath and Dharamjit Singh are injured. But there’s no extra pressure on us. I like to field my first-choice team for about 60 minutes, because my main target is to gain as much confidence as possible before taking on Dempo in the NFL,” Mohun Bagan’s interim coach pointed out.

In recent times in Indian football, we have sipped and sampled the Brazilian flavour through the artistry of Barreto and the late Cristiano Junior de Lama. But here we are gearing up for a huge carnival of jogo bonito.

Antonio revealed that his side prefers to play a la Luiz Felippe Scolari’s 3-5-2 formation, making a departure from former national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s 4-4-2 style adopted in the unsuccessful defence of the FIFA World Cup in Germany.

He, however, didn’t look hugely impressed with the Salt Lake Stadium. “It’s like one of many stadia back home. Even Eastadia do Morumbi (Sao Paulo’s home ground) is as huge as this, but there is no cemented gallery,” he said and added that the JRD Complex ground in Jamshedpur “looked the best ground so far”.

And what is ailing Indian football? “There are some technical and infrastructural problems. Also I feel players are not aware of the right diet,” pat came Antonio’s reply.

Here is, however, a case in point. As Sao Paulo was practising at the stadium, there was a simultaneous athletics event for school children going on. With blaring loudspeakers all around, the organisers were blissfully oblivious to the presence of an international team.

To this Antonio remarked, rather sarcastically: “It’s good to see so many children around here. We are fun-loving people and love children.”

Carnival balls and thematic parties are frequently thrown as part of celebration at the Sao Paulo FC. Sunday, for sure, will be another such magical and mystical party.