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Mohun Bagan hosted East Bengal for the first I-League derby of the season. Both the teams came into the game being level on points and both the Kolkata giants went for the win. It was a historic game of sorts, given it's the first derby to be hosted at the Salt Lake Stadium, after the arena was renovated for the recently concluded FIFA U17 World Cup.
Mohun Bagan started the game in a positive manner they had more shots in the first 15 minutes, but East Bengal looked dangerous when they attacked through the flanks.
In the end, Mohun Bagan managed to get the win with a first-half goal from defender Kingsley, as they surged three points ahead of their arch-rivals. On that note, let's take a look at how the players fared in the match.
Mohun Bagan
Shilton Paul (7.5): Shilton had a brilliant game and made some fine saves to ensure Mohun Bagan kept the clean sheet.
Kingsley (8.5): Kingsley scored the first goal of the game and he was solid in during the first half. He also kept the Plaza in check and made sure that the Trinidadian striker didn’t have much space.
Kinshuk (7): Kinshuk had a good game. He worked hard to keep the likes of Amna and Plaza at bay. He also made some crucial clearances.
Ricky (5.5): Ricky had an average game. He looked brilliant at times, but was often beaten by the likes of Chullova and Danmawia.
Bagui(5.5): Arijit was playing his first big I-League game and looked nervous. He also had a tough time keeping the likes of Brandon in check
Naro Hari Shrestha (5): Was on the pitch for just 28minutes. He was seldom seen with the ball at his feet.
Yuta Kinowaki (8.5): Probably the best Bagan player. Yuta did a brilliant job in keeping Katsumi and Amna quiet.
Raynier Fernandes (8): Raynier had a good game. He tackled the likes of Amna, Bazzou and Katsumi without fear.
Sony Norde (7.5): Sony kept the East Bengal defence and midfield occupied with his brilliant runs and passes. He often cut in from the flanks and created space for the likes of Kromah and Dicka
Kromah (6.5): He had the role of creating an unwanted nuisance in the East Bengal half as he was seen going down easily and getting under the skin of the opposition.
Aser Dipanda (6): Dipanda wasn’t at his best today. He went down easily and looked out of place a lot.
Substitutes
Sk. Faiaz (6): Faiaz was much better than Naro Hari and kept the liked of Deepak occupied in defense.
Shilton (6.5): Shilton was bought on to shut shop in the midfield and he did his job perfectly.
Nikhil (N/A)
East Bengal
Luis Barreto (6.5): Luis made some good saves during the game, he also made some fine outings to the clear the ball away.
Mehtab (5.5): As predicted, he was on the pitch for just around 25minutes. He was a handful for the Bagan attackers and also put in some lovely crosses.
Gurwinder (6): Gurwinder didn’t have the best of games. He was often beaten by the likes of Kromah and Dicka beat Gurwinder easily.
Eduardo (6.5): The better of the two East Bengal centre-backs, Eduardo kept Dicka under close vigil. But his weakness in defending set pieces was again shown today.
Deepak Kumar (6.5): Worked hard defensively, but was left wanting in attack. He also had a lot of miscommunication with his midfielders which resulted in East Bengal losing a lot of ball possession. His crosses were pathetic.
Brandon (7.5): Brandon was lively right from the start. He did brilliantly to beat Bagui almost always. He cut in from midfield and played as a central midfielder on certain. He also helped his defenders in defence.
Bazie Armand (5.5): Bazzou performed way below expectations. He failed to win the second balls for East Bengal and committed a lot of poor passes.
Amna (6): Amna hasn’t been his usual self at the start of the I-League. He was a shade below his usual self against Aizawl and was left wanting today.
Katsumi (6.5): Katsumi tried hard but didn’t perform up to his best today. He had a free kick that just whizzed past the post.
Danmawia (6): Danmawia was probably the most subdued East Bengal midfielder in the game. He did make some good runs but was mostly unseen during the game. He had a brilliant chance in the closing stages of the game, only to be denied by Shilton’s brilliant save.
Plaza (5): The curious case of Wills Plaza continues. He had two of the best chances of the game, one in the first half and the other in the second half. However, he failed to get a shot on goal on both occasions.
Substitutes
Chullova (7.5): Chullova was probably the best East Bengal defender. He did brilliantly going forward and his crosses were top notch. He also covered the tracks of Gurwinder and Eduardo. He made some crucial interceptions.
Charles (5): Charles was poor to be true. His touches and hold-up play were way below par. He also gifted Mohun Bagan possession a couple of times.
Lobo (6): Lobo nearly scored after coming onto the pitch. He also put in some good balls into the box, but the attackers failed to use it properly.
