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East Bengal FC secured a vital 1-0 victory against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the highly anticipated Kolkata derby. A second-half strike by Nandhakumar Sekar separated the teams in an otherwise even contest.
The initial exchanges were cagey, as we expected from the Kolkata derby. Both teams were rusty in the final third, but the game's quality and intensity remained impressive, even in the early stages of the season.
Mohun Bagan, however, began taking control of the proceedings after weathering the initial storm, with Armando Sadiku coming close to scoring on a couple of occasions.
During the first half, opportunities were scarce as both teams displayed strong defensive performances. The half concluded with a goalless scoreline, with neither side managing to register a shot on target.
The second half’s start mirrored the pattern of the first, as the Mariners dominated possession, while East Bengal struggled in midfield, allowing turnovers.
However, East Bengal took the lead against the run of play around the hour mark. They caught Mohun Bagan on the break, with Nandhakumar Sekar’s stunning long-range effort from the right flank beating Vishal Kaith.
Following the goal, Mohun Bagan began committing men forward in search of the equalizer. East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat responded to the change in momentum by instructing his team to defend deeper and limit spaces in midfield.
That strategy paid off as the Red and Gold Brigade secured the three points, but more importantly, the bragging rights against their fierce rivals. For Mohun Bagan, it was a disappointing day, but they will hope to improve their performance in the upcoming AFC Cup qualifiers.
On that note, let's take a look at how the Mariners fared against East Bengal.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant player ratings
Vishal Kaith [7/10]
Kaith did not have much to do in goal, but his anticipation of the game stood out through his adept handling, while his proactive approach also helped his defenders.
He was at no fault for the goal, as Nandhakumar’s shot swirled into the bottom corner.
Asish Rai [6/10]
Asish displayed a dynamic presence along the right flank, frequently overlapping and combining with Boumous and Manvir Singh.
Nonetheless, his impact in the wide areas reduced as the game progressed.
Anwar Ali [7.5/10]
Anwar Ali made a crucial interception in the early stages to deny Javier Siverio. He was a solid presence at the back throughout the game, while his passing was top-notch, particularly his accurate diagonal deliveries that consistently found Liston Colaco on the left wing.
Brendan Hamill [7/10]
Hamill largely defended well and did not make mistakes at the back. He effectively led and guided the youthful defensive unit despite being on the wrong side of the scoreline.
Subhasish Bose [6/10]
Bose played a more reserved role compared to Asish, but he also had the chance to advance and deliver crosses. Nevertheless, his offensive contribution remained quite limited, and the accuracy of his crosses was generally lacking.
Glan Martins [6.5/10]
Martins sat in front of the back four and fulfilled his role effectively. His passing accuracy was notable, although his defensive sharpness wasn't at its best, as he was responsible for allowing East Bengal to initiate breakaways.
Anirudh Thapa [5/10]
Thapa marked his debut with a solid performance. While he did nothing extraordinary, he kept the play moving and found spaces in midfield to receive the ball and bring others into the play.
However, his momentary lapse in concentration proved costly, as Nandhakumar seized the opportunity and scored the only goal of the game.
Manvir Singh [5/10]
Manvir largely struggled to get past his opposite number Mandar Rao Desai, as the left-back constantly got the better of him in one-versus-one duels. It was not the best of days for the Indian international winger.
Liston Colaco [6/10]
Colaco was lively on the left flank often getting the better of Harmanjot Khabra. But like most of his teammates, his final pass was missing.
Hugo Boumous [6/10]
Boumous had a free role in midfield, and orchestrated the play for Mohun Bagan. He also had a few chances to find the net from a distance, although his attempts narrowly missed the mark.
The Frenchman will, however, look to elevate his performance in the upcoming matches.
Armando Sadiku [6,5/10]
Sadiku made tireless runs behind the defense to create space for his teammates. But he was tightly marked by Lalchungnunga and Jordan Elsey, resulting in just one attempt from within the penalty area.
Eventually, around the hour mark, Sadiku was replaced by Jason Cummings.
Substitutes
Jason Cummings [6/10]
Cummings made his debut in the iconic Green and Maroon colors, but it was certainly not one to remember.
While he added dynamism to Mohun Baagan’s attacks, he missed a couple of glorious opportunities.
Dimitri Petratos [6/10]
Petratos made some excellent movements in the penalty box, but lacked precision when it came to finishing.
Sahal Abdul Samad [6.5/10]
Another debutant in the ranks, Sahal was sharp in the final ten minutes, but he had very little time to make any impact.
Ashique Kuruniyan [6/10]
Ashique struggled to get past challenges and deliver crosses, mainly due to the consistent double-marking he faced from East Bengal in the closing stages of the match.
Suhail Bhat [5/10]
Bhat was closed down tightly when he arrived, which restricted his opportunity to find space in the penalty box.
