Sahal Abdul Samad’s second-half strike proved decisive as Mohun Bagan Super Giant edged arch-rivals East Bengal FC 1-0 in a fiercely contested opening match of the 135th Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Saturday.
The first Kolkata Derby of the season also marked the competitive debuts of new head coaches Antonio López Habas for Mohun Bagan and Panagiotis Dilimperis for East Bengal, with both managers opting to field all-Indian starting XIs.
Mohun Bagan dominate opening half but fail to convert
Mohun Bagan looked the more threatening side from the outset, using the pace of right-back Tekcham Abhishek Singh to stretch the East Bengal defence.
Abhishek created the first opening of the evening with a teasing cross for Manvir Singh, whose glancing header drifted into the side netting. The defender continued to trouble the Red and Gold Brigade, setting up Kiyan Nassiri soon after, but Prabhsukhan Singh Gill comfortably collected the forward’s tame header.
Sahal Abdul Samad remained at the heart of Mohun Bagan’s attacking moves, testing Gill on one occasion before firing another effort into the side netting.
Despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession and registering 10 attempts to East Bengal’s two in the opening 45 minutes, the Mariners were unable to find the breakthrough as Anwar Ali and Sandip Mandi marshalled the visitors’ defence effectively.
Sahal breaks the deadlock after the restart
Mohun Bagan’s persistence paid off early in the second half.
Kiyan Nassiri won possession inside the penalty area after dispossessing Rohit Danu before driving a low cross across the face of goal. Sahal arrived unmarked at the far post and calmly tapped into an empty net to hand the Mariners a deserved lead in the 52nd minute.
East Bengal responded with a series of attacking changes, introducing Mohamad Rashid and P.V. Vishnu before later sending on new signings Dejan Dražić and Dani Ramírez in search of an equaliser.
East Bengal push hard but Kaith stands tall
The substitutions transformed East Bengal’s attacking intent as they began to pin Mohun Bagan inside their own half.
Vishnu forced Vishal Kaith into his first meaningful save with a powerful low drive, while Lalchungnunga produced an impressive run down the right before drawing another fine stop from the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper.
Ramírez nearly made an instant impact, striking the post after meeting Vishnu’s inviting delivery with a clever near-post run.
Kaith then produced arguably the save of the match, brilliantly denying Mohamad Rashid’s acrobatic effort after Ramírez picked him out unmarked at the back post. From the resulting corner, Anwar Ali rose highest but headed over as East Bengal’s late pressure went unrewarded.
Mohun Bagan eventually weathered the storm to secure a hard-fought derby victory and begin their Durand Cup campaign on a winning note.
Sunday’s fixtures
- Jamshedpur FC vs Defenders FC (Sri Lanka) – 5:00 PM IST, Birsa Munda Football Stadium, Ranchi
- Indian Army FT vs Samaleswari Sporting – 7:30 PM IST, Kishore Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata