The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal fixture, popularly known as the Kolkata Derby is a 100-year-old footballing rivalry with a rich history. The match is locally known as the ‘boro match’ which means ‘big match’ in Bengali. The first match between these two sides was played on 8 August 1921 in the Coochbehar cup, which ended as a goalless stalemate. Since then, both of these sides have battled it out against each other around 382 times, in which, East Bengal came out victorious 132 times and Mohun Bagan won 125 games. The rest of the games ended in a draw.

Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan joined the Hero ISL two seasons back.  Ahead of the first ISL fixture that is going to be played in front of home fans in Kolkata, we take a look at some of the memorable games between these two sides over the last 10-12 years

East Bengal 3-3 Mohun Bagan, East Bengal won 3-2 on penalties (Mohammedan sporting platinum jubilee cup, November 14, 2010)

To commemorate their maiden triumph of the prestigious Calcutta Football League in 1934, the Mohammedan sporting club organized the platinum jubilee cup with Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and the world’s first-ever football club Sheffield FC being the participants. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal made it to the final of the two-day contest and produced a goal-fest. Alvito D’cunha put East Bengal in front in the stoppage time of the first half, but Mohun Bagan returned in the second half with goals from Satish Kumar and Ashim Biswas giving them the lead. Their celebrations didn’t last long as Robin Singh equalized for East Bengal and the game went to extra time. East Bengal looked to have won it when Robin scored again in the extra time to make it 3-2 in the 101st minute of the game. But, Mohun Bagan responded well and Harpreet Singh’s strike took the final to penalties, which East Bengal won 3-2.

East Bengal 3-0 Mohun Bagan (I-league 2012)

A wave of violence erupted at the Salt Lake Stadium as this derby fixture was forced to be called off. 

It all started when East Bengal took the lead through Harmanjot Khabra from a Mehtab Hussain freekick in the 43rd minute of the game. Things started to heat up when Bagan’s star recruit Odafa Okolie was given a straight red card by referee Vishnu Chauhan for expressing his displeasure. Soon after the incident, Mohun Bagan fans started pelting stones and bricks at the field, one of them hitting a Mohun Bagan midfielder Syed Rahim Nabi’s face. He was quickly hospitalized and Bagan players came off the field. The match was then called off after Bagan refused to field their player’s in the second half. Mohun Bagan was given a two-year suspension for the same reason.

East Bengal 4-0 Mohun Bagan (2015)

East Bengal clinched the Calcutta Football League title for the 6th consecutive time by thrashing Mohun Bagan 4-0 in their penultimate game of the league.

In front of a packed 65000 crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium, East Bengal’s South Korean star recruit Do Dong-Hyun netted two freekicks in the first half while goals from Muhammad Rafique and Rahul Bheke in the second half completed a 4-0 rout against their arch-rivals, Mohun Bagan.

Mohun Bagan 2-1 East Bengal (I-league 2019)

This was the last Kolkata Derby game in the I-league era. Mohun Bagan made it one to remember as goals from Joseba Betia and Baba Diawara on either side of the break gave the Mariners 3 points and the much-needed edge in their title race with East Bengal’s consolation goal coming from Marco’s Jimenez in the 72nd minute being too late.

ATK Mohun Bagan 3-1 SC East Bengal 

One of the dramatic encounters between the two sides in the ISL has to be the 2021 fixture where a young Kiyan Nassiri, son of former East Bengal legend Jamshad Nassiri stunned the red and gold with his second-half hat-trick heroics that won the game for the Mariners. Darren Sidoel had given East Bengal the lead in the 56th minute of the game, but Kiyan came on and soon equalized in the 64′ minute, However, his dramatic double strike deep in the injury time killed the game for East Bengal as Mariners extended their winning streak against the rivals.

Today as Kolkata prepares for another derby day, it will be interesting to see whether Juan Ferrando’s high-flying ATK Mohun Bagan come on top or will it be Stephen Constantine’s pragmatic East Bengal that breaks the jinx, either ways expect a high-octane encounter.

Photo Credit – ISL Media

Also Read: Sekar sinks Bengaluru FC as Odisha FC pick up third win of the season and go top of the table

For more trial-related updates click-> Latest trials updates in Mumbai Football

The post Kolkata Derby: Memorable games from the last decade appeared first on Football Counter.

The game is scheduled for a 5 PM IST kick-off.

Mohun Bagan currently sit in the sixth spot with 26 points from 18 matches while Floyd Pinto-coached Indian Arrows are a spot behind on seventh with 18 points from 19 matches.

Indian Arrows coach Floyd Pinto said in the pre-match press conference, “Definitely the campaign has been more successful than last season, we are not concerned about the relegation though we are fighting for it. The boys are only getting better with time.”

“Mohun Bagan will be playing at their home ground which will be an advantage for them, but we are hoping to get the three points tomorrow. The attitude of the boys is much more positive. We are looking forward to the Hero Super Cup and I am confident with our abilities for tomorrow’s match.”

Mohun Bagan will start favorites though. However, their record of one defeat, one draw and one win in their last three games will be worrisome for their form, while Indian Arrows have lost two and drawn one going into Thursday’s game.

Cameroonian striker Dipanda Dicka’s double strike had settled the issue in the first-leg clash between the two sides. Khalid Jamil, looking for nothing less than a win said, “We are prepared for tomorrow’s match. We have to fight as we fought before and will be playing with a good team and the opponents should not be taken lightly. They are young and fight for every ball. This is our last home match of this season and we should be at our best.”

On the other hand, the Arrows have exhibited no fear of losing and will look to finish on a high. Coach Floyd Pinto could be proud of his work for the season and that of his boys and a win in the last game against Bagan will be the proverbial icing on the cake.

Also Read: ISL title will make consistent Goa complete

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Arrows aim to wrap up season on a high appeared first on Football Counter.

Shillong is in good form and is aiming to get out of the relegation zone. The game will kick off at 5 PM IST at the Salt Lake stadium.

The hosts are on 28 points from 14 games. Leaders Chennai City FC is on 34, having played two games more. A win on Thursday will take QEB into third place. Shillong is the bottom-placed side at the moment, having earned just 10 points from 15 games.

QEB has won three games on the trot. Shillong notched up two wins against Churchill Brothers and Minerva Punjab FC respectively. A confidence booster to Allison Kharsyntiew’s young team!

“We have a belief that we can definitely score and give our best for tomorrow’s game. East Bengal is a very good team they have skilled players, but we have to try for the three points. Our strategy will be teamwork and to play attacking football. We have to work very hard to be in a better position on the points table. Just hoping the boys to score more goals in tomorrow’s match,” said Kharsyntiew in the pre-game press conference.

For all of their attacking prowess, a leaky back-line has been Shillong’s undoing this season. They conceded a whopping 39 goals.

QEB look solid and Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez Garcia has put together a team with most bases plugged.

They are the third-highest scoring team and the third-lowest team in terms of goals conceded. QEB is third on the list of most clean sheets.

QEB’s attack looks menacing with the league’s highest Indian scorer Jobby Justin. Enrique Esqueda is back from injury and young Spaniard Jamie Santos Colado and Laldanmawia Ralte have delivered up front.

Justin scored two of his eight league goals in the away fixture against Shillong and helped QEB win 3-1.

Garcia’s thoroughly professional approach was evident in the pre-game press conference: “We have to respect the opponent. They have been having good results and we think that if we don’t respect the opponent, we won’t be winning the match. Have been thinking about tomorrow’s match only and not about the final day. Shillong team’s strong point is they try to have more ball possession and have many players in the center and make combination passes. Their strikers are fast and have good control of the ball.”

QEB supporters will be there in numbers to back their team.

Also Read: Chennai City and Neroca share spoils in six-goal thriller

Also Read: India will bounce back says head coach Rocky

The post Hero I-League: East Bengal aim to maintain winning streak against Lajong appeared first on Football Counter.

Though the win improves Bagan’s chances of a top-half finish they still have an outside chance to win the 12th Hero I-League title.

Egyptian midfielder Omar El Hussieny converted a penalty in the first-half while Cameroonian striker Dipanda Dicka scored in the second. This is Bagan’s fifth win of the season.

Jamil’s team consolidate their hold on sixth spot in the league table.

Minerva on the other hand are stuck on seventh with hopes of a title defence looking improbable.

Jamil played Gurjinder and Dalraj (defence) and Abhishek Ambekar (left-back) and kept Arijit Bagui and Ugandan forward Henry Kisekka on the bench. Dicka was the lone striker while Sony Norde played on the left wing.

Minerva coach Paul Munster played Yu Kuboki and Prabhjot Singh upfront due to the unavailability of William Opoku.

Bagan despite dominating possession couldn’t find a way past Minerva in the first-half. The visitors at times defended with nine men in their own half!

The home team broke the deadlock when Omar El Hussieny scored from the spot at the halfway mark.

The Kolkata outfit’s strategy of holding on to possession caused Minerva problems in the second-half.

It worked when Dicka beat goalkeeper Bhaskar Roy (and the off-side trap!) to score Bagan’s second goal in the 69th minute. Norde’s through-ball in the build-up to the goal was worth a mention!

Roy’s fantastic save off El Hussieny ensured that Minerva didn’t concede again.

The second-half introduction of Moinuddin, Dilliram Sanyasi and Makan Winkle Chote didn’t make a difference for Minerva.

Bagan host Neroca FC in two days’ time while Minerva have a 10-day break before their game against Gokulam Kerala at home.

Also Read: MDFA ELITE DIVISION: Banky shines as Sellebrity gun down FSI

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Experience to the fore as East Bengal edge out Arrows

Follow Football Counter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football.

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Bagan down Minerva to stay alive in title race appeared first on Football Counter.

Bagan lie in sixth spot while Minerva are one place below them in the 12th Hero I-League standings. Both teams go into this fixture on the back of morale-sapping defeats.

The Kolkata outfit have named Khalid Jamil as their new coach (Sankarlal Chakraborty resigned after the loss to Real Kashmir). Jamil (who helped Aizawl FC win their maiden I-League title) has had limited time to prepare for this crunch fixture.

In his first press conference he stressed on the need to keep things simple: “It is the first match for me and it is a big challenge to get a good start. We are only thinking about a positive start. We are not thinking about the past but about tomorrow, and will be giving our best. I will be keeping it simple, not many changes and thinking positive.”

Minerva on the other hand has been inconsistent under Irish coach Paul Munster. They have scored only six times in 11 games. None of Munster’s player-combinations has worked so far.

Munster had this to say: “It’s a new coach. When a new coach comes in, the players want to impress the new coach. So, it is a motivation for them. We are aware of Mohun Bagan and we know how they play. New coach, he may make new decisions, new tactics, maybe different players playing.”

He hinted that his premiere marksman might be injured for the game: “We have only two foreigners playing in defence, as others are injured. Both teams are in the same situation, similar in the league positions as well.”

Bagan (who beat Minerva in their previous meeting) has won three of it’s last five games. Minerva (who beat East Bengal earlier in the season) may take heart from the fact that Bagan hasn’t had a good run at the VYBK.

The home team has leaked in 14 goals in 11 games. This defensive frailty can be exploited by Minerva’s young strike-force! William Opoku misses out for Minerva. A tight contest is on cards!

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: East Bengal face stiff Arrows challenge

Also Read: HERO I-LEAGUE: Jamil joins Mohun Bagan as head coach

Follow Football Counter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest happenings in the world of Indian football.

The post HERO I-LEAGUE: Last chance saloon for Bagan and Minerva appeared first on Football Counter.