Mohun Bagan began their Durand Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over arch-rival East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium. Sahal Abdul Samad struck the decisive goal early in the second half at the Kolkata derby on Saturday.
The midfielder’s 52nd-minute finish from close range proved enough to separate the two sides in a fiercely contested Group B opener, handing new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis a winning start.ย
Notably, the breakthrough came after Mohun Bagan’s aggressive high press forced a costly error from the East Bengal defence. Kiyan Nassiri won possession near the penalty area before driving to the byline and squaring the ball across the six-yard box. Manvir Singh’s attempted backheel missed the delivery, but the loose ball fell kindly for Sahal, who calmly slotted into an unguarded net to give the Mariners the lead.
Despite conceding, East Bengal responded positively and enjoyed several promising moments in the closing stages. Substitute Chungnunga tested Vishal Kaith from a tight angle before Rashid failed to convert the rebound from close range. Moments later, Ramirez’s glancing effort from a dangerous cross struck the outside of the post, coming within inches of an equaliser.
Vishal Kaith rescues Bagan
Kaith again came to Mohun Bagan’s rescue deep into stoppage time when he produced an excellent reflex save to deny Rashid’s close-range header. He preserved his clean sheet as East Bengal poured crosses into the box during the final minutes.
The opening half had produced plenty of intensity but few clear-cut chances as both teams struggled to find rhythm in the final third. East Bengal threatened through David Hmar and Rohit Danu, while Sahal looked the liveliest attacking outlet for Mohun Bagan. Rahul Bheke and Mehtab Singh marshalled the Mariners’ defence effectively, while East Bengal goalkeeper Gill was rarely troubled before the interval.
Both coaches made tactical changes after the goal in search of momentum. East Bengal introduced PV Vishnu, Rashid and Ramirez to inject pace into the attack, while Mohun Bagan refreshed their frontline and midfield to protect the advantage.
Now, the victory gives Mohun Bagan three valuable points at the start of its group-stage campaign and strengthens its hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds, where only the six group winners and the two best runners-up qualify for the quarter-finals. East Bengal, meanwhile, will seek to recover when it faces CISF Protectors in their next fixture, while Mohun Bagan will meet South United looking to build on theirย winning start.
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