Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal 400th Kolkata Derby Highlights: Defending ISL Shield champions Mohun Bagan got the better of their arch rivals East Bengal as ‘The Mariners’ earned a comfortable victory at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Sunday evening.
It was the 400th overall head to head clash between these two century old clubs and 9th in Indian Super League (ISL) in which Mohun Bagan managed to win 7 out of 8 games and the other one ended in a draw.
The track records of these two sides are no different in the ongoing season as the Green and Maroons are vying to strengthen their hold in the top while the Red and Gold Brigade have lost all four of their opening fixtures.
First Half Highlights: Bagan’s Early Dominance
It was the very first match for East Bengal’s newly recruited Spanish manager Oscar Bruzon who replaced his compatriot Carles Cuadrat after a dreadful start of the season. Nevertheless, the presence of new boss in the dugout had little impact on the field as Bagan was in total control of the game from the referee’s first whistle.
Mohun Bagan came close of scoring in the 17th minute when Greg Stewart’s inch perfect cross found Jamie Maclaren but the Scottish born Australian international forward’s strike was too close to East Bengal’s goalie PS Gill.
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In the very next minute, Bagan winger Manvir Singh’s goal from a glancing header was disallowed due to a close offside call by the linesman. The Marniners continued to dominate and create more chances and forced PS Gill to make a couple of brilliant saves.
East Bengal were sloppy in the attacking third and were losing possession through frequent miss passes from crucial positions. Such careless display proved fatal in the 40th minute when Greg Stewart got back possession in Mohun Bagan’s half and his long ball through the right flank found Manvir who crossed towards Maclaren who put himself nicely between the two East Bengal centre backs and this time his clinical finish found the back of the net.
Second Half: Mohun Bagan’s Control and Penalty Victory
The second half was very similar in nature as Mohun Bagan dominated and created more chances, only the finishing was lacking. The two wingers, Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh played pivotal roles in most of the attacking build ups. Bagan’s goalie Vishal Kaith hardly had to do anything in the second half as lacklustre looking East Bengal failed to manage a shot during the said period. Even the substitutes failed to make any worthwhile impact.
In the closing moments, Bagan substitute Dimitri Petratos who replaced goal scorer Maclaren, earned a penalty in the 88th minute after he was fouled by PS Gill inside the box. The veteran Australian himself scored from the penalty spot to put the result beyond any doubt.
With this victory, Mohun Bagan have moved to the 2nd spot in the table after 5 rounds of matches collecting 10 points, three behind leaders Bengaluru FC, while East Bengal remain at the rock bottom with no point at their cart after playing as many games as Mohun Bagan.
