Rahul Giri
In a nerve-wracking Kolkata derby held at the Kalyani Stadium, East Bengal edged past arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) 3-2 to notch a crucial victory in the Calcutta Football League (CFL) 2025. In a contest brimming with passion, local flavour, and dramatic swings, it was East Bengal who held their nerve to walk away with three priceless points.
Experts often say that the team which manages to stay composed in the heat of a derby walks away victorious—and East Bengal did just that. They settled into the game early, struck valuable goals, and resisted a spirited Mohun Bagan comeback to seal the win.
This derby had all the ingredients of a blockbuster. With six local boys across both sides, the match carried a unique emotional intensity. These boys don’t need to be taught the meaning of a derby. The passion was palpable, and the determination from both camps was evident till the final whistle. East Bengal defender Provat Lakra, in particular, stood tall on his home ground with a commanding display at the back.
This was also a derby with a different flavour—it was the first time the iconic clash was held away from Kolkata, at the Kalyani Stadium. Yet, fans from both sides flocked in large numbers to create a vibrant, high-voltage atmosphere.
East Bengal Start Strong
East Bengal, struggling in the early rounds of the CFL, showed their intent right from the kick-off. Their early pressure bore fruit in the ninth minute. Sayan Banerjee played a clever one-two with David Lalhlansanga down the right flank and drilled in a low cross that Jesin TK calmly slotted past Mohun Bagan custodian Deeprobhat Ghosh to break the deadlock.
Mohun Bagan tried to respond but lacked cohesion in the first half. Their best chance came around the half-hour mark when Suhail Bhat latched onto a through ball from Sandeep Malik, burst into the East Bengal box, but took a heavy final touch, allowing Debjit Majumder to rush off his line and collect. Kiyan Nassiri pounced on the rebound but struck the far post.
East Bengal doubled their lead before the break. In the 43rd minute, Sayan latched onto Edmund Lalrindika’s midfield through ball, beat the offside trap, and slotted calmly past Deeprobhat to make it 2-0.
Mohun Bagan Fight Back
The Mariners regrouped at halftime and came out firing. In the 55th minute, they reduced the deficit through Leewan Castanha, who slammed home from inside the box after Dipendu Biswas smartly brought down a corner.
The comeback was completed in the 66th minute when derby specialist Nassiri—who famously netted a hat-trick in the 2021-22 ISL Kolkata Derby—headed home from Leewan’s whipped cross to make it 2-2.
David’s Decisive Moment
But East Bengal weren’t done. Just minutes after conceding the equaliser, Lalhlansanga silenced the Mariners’ cheers with a perfectly timed header. Aman CK delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, and Lalhlansanga made the most of the space in the box to nod East Bengal back into the lead.
He could have added another in the 82nd minute, but with only the goalkeeper to beat, his shot flew over the bar.
With this morale-boosting victory, East Bengal brought their CFL campaign back on track, moving to 8 points from 5 matches. Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, suffered their first major setback of the season, staying on 10 points from 6 games.
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