East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Preview, predicted lineups, telecast details, and more for the Kolkata Derby in ISL 2023-24

The latest instalment of the Kolkata Derby, a blockbuster event of the Indian football calendar in its own right, will unfold at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata when struggling East Bengal host title contenders Mohun Bagan SG on Sunday.

Despite the proximity between the two clubs geographically, they are separated by some margin on the points table. The Mariners, currently sitting in third spot, can equal league leaders Mumbai City FC at 36 points with a victory on Sunday while having played a match less than the Islanders.

Meanwhile, the Red and Gold Brigade's league campaign has gone astray since their triumph in the Super Cup. After holding Mohun Bagan to a 2-2 draw right after the ISL 2023-24 restart, the Carles Cuadrat-coached outfit has slumped to five defeats in their seven outings. But a victory against their arch-rivals can bolster their knockout aspirations, as they would go level on points with sixth-placed Jamshedpur FC.

The two sides have locked horns on four occasions throughout the season across competitions. And for the first time since the two Kolkata Giants joined the ISL, East Bengal have a statistical advantage over the Green and Maroon Brigade.

While Cuadrat's men started the Durand Cup with a win over MBSG in the group stage, the ISL champions roared back in the finale clash to walk away with the trophy. The Super Cup saw East Bengal reigning supreme over their noisy neighbours, and in the ISL both teams were forced to share the spoils.

However, a lot has changed for both teams since they last squared off in the league in February. The Mariners have looked a lot more refined under new coach Antonio Lopez Habas and are still undefeated under him.

“In our case, we had a very good run of games in the Durand Cup. Then we had quite a good start to our ISL campaign but then a bad dynamic. After that, we had another purple patch in the Super Cup and now we’re struggling with the results. For Mohun Bagan, it has been quite similar. A mixture of good and bad dynamics. But tomorrow we have the opportunity to change the dynamic positively," Cuadrat said in the pre-match press conference, while addressing the shifting momentum for the two teams.

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East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Match details for the ISL 2023-24 clash

Match: East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG, ISL 2023-24

Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata

Time: Sunday, March 10, 8.30 pm IST.

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East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Probable Lineups

East Bengal FC: Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Lalchungnunga, Aleksandar Pantic Hijazi Maher, Nishu Kumar, Saul Crespo, Souvik Chakrabarti, Ajay Chhetri, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Nandhakumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva.

Mohun Bagan SG: Vishal Kaith (GK), Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Subhasish Bose, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, Joni Kauko, Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings.

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East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Telecast and live stream details

The ISL clash between East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan SG will be broadcast live on Sports18 and VH1 in India. It can also be live-streamed on the JioCinema app on Sunday, March 10 at 8:30 PM.

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East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan SG: Prediction for the ISL 2023-24 clash

A clear contrast in the form charts of the two teams could be enough reason to slightly give Mohun Bagan the edge, at least on paper. But in derbies, where emotions are at an all-time high, all these metrics often fall flat.

East Bengal, for the longest time, have looked underwhelming but there has also been enough evidence of them turning up the gears in those crunch situations. On Sunday, they'll be faced with an opportunity to exert their dominance over their local rivals, and it remains to be seen if the Torchbearers can stand up to the test.

Prediction: East Bengal FC 1-2 Mohun Bagan SG