Kolkata Derby: East Bengal Search for First Win Against Mohun Bagan in ISL
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play East Bengal FC in the Kolkata Derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday.
Guwahati: Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play East Bengal FC in the Kolkata Derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday.
Table of Contents
Mohun Bagan’s Dominance in the ISL
The Mariners will look to extend their dominant record over their city rivals, having won eight out of the nine encounters between the two teams in ISL history. East Bengal FC has yet to record a victory against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the competition.
Currently sitting at the top of the table, Mohun Bagan Super Giant boasts an impressive record of 22 goals scored against East Bengal FC. Their attacking unit, led by Dimitrios Petratos, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Jamie Maclaren, and Jason Cummings, has been one of the most relentless in the league. With an average of 2.4 goals per game against East Bengal, this is their second-highest goal-scoring rate against any opponent.
Solid Defensive Record for the Mariners
Defensively, Mohun Bagan has been strong, conceding just 5 goals against East Bengal FC—the least they have given away against any team with whom they have played at least twice. Both teams will be eyeing important points, with Mohun Bagan aiming to maintain their unbeaten streak and East Bengal FC hoping to break their arch-rivals’ stronghold and avoid another loss.
Passing Accuracy and Strategy
Mohun Bagan Super Giant has recorded a 79.2% passing accuracy against East Bengal FC in the ISL, which is their second-best passing percentage against any opponent. East Bengal will need to find a way to disrupt the Mariners’ passing flow to prevent them from controlling the game.
The Mariners will be targeting their fourth league double against East Bengal FC in the ISL. Against no other team have they achieved this feat more times in the competition.
East Bengal FC’s Challenge
East Bengal FC has scored the third-least goals (16) in the ISL 2024-25. In an attempt to strengthen their frontline, they have signed Venezuelan striker Richard Celis until the end of the season. Celis, who has played for clubs such as Atletico Venezuela CF, Deportivo JBL, Caracas FC, and Academia Puerto Cabello, can play both as a center-forward and on the left flank, potentially filling the gap left by the absence of attacking midfielder Madih Talal. It remains to be seen whether Celis will feature in this match.
Coaches’ Comments
Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina downplayed their impressive track record against East Bengal FC, emphasizing that past performances don’t matter for the upcoming match.
“What we did in the ISL so far doesn’t matter in tomorrow’s game. We need to perform well, defeat them in the 90 minutes tomorrow on the pitch,” he said.
East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon expressed full confidence in his players’ abilities for the Kolkata Derby.
“We have to optimise the resources that are available to us and we have full confidence in the players who will take the field to play in the Kolkata Derby,” he said.
