Salt Lake Stadium witnessed one of the most enthralling Kolkata Derbies in recent years tonight. After an action-packed 90 minutes, the battle between the two arch rivals ended in a 2-2 stalemate.
Ajay Chhetri’s opener in the 3rd minute was canceled out by Sadiku. However, Cleiton Silva once again put East Bengal ahead, only to see Dimi Petratos score a late equalizer to share the spoils.
Just before kickoff, Mohun Bagan fans unveiled a tifo of their new Head coach, Antonio Lopez Habas, with the caption “Hidden Trump.” However, it was Carles Cuadrat, coach of East Bengal, who found his hidden ace. Souvik Chakraborty’s replacement, Ajay Chhetri, scored the opener in the 3rd minute, converting Nishu Kumar’s inch-perfect cross from the left flank. Mohun Bagan’s defence was ball watching and no one tried marking the free man waiting in the box.
At the end of the first quarter, Mohun Bagan suffered another setback as Anwar Ali, who featured in the lineup after a hiatus of 3 months, had to limp off the field due to a hamstring problem.
In the 17th minute, Armando Sadiku brought Mohun Bagan fans to their feet, leveling the game with a clinical finish from a Brendon Hamill cross.
Carles Cuadrat also had to deal with a major injury blow as their midfield mainstay, Saul Crespo, had to be replaced by Sayan Banerjee in the 19th minute.
At the stroke of halftime, Sadiku had a golden opportunity inside the box, but his shot went way above the target.
Habas brought Manvir Singh on in place of Kiyan Nasiri after the break, but it was Cleiton Silva, the Pied Piper of East Bengal, who changed the fortunes of the Red and Yellow brigade.
In the 55th minute, Deepak Tangri fouled Mahesh Naorem inside the box during a promising attack, earning East Bengal a penalty. The Brazilian forward restored their lead, converting from the spot kick.
In the second half, East Bengal lost Mahesh Naorem to injury as the Manipuri winger seemed to have picked up a concussion after his collision with Subhashis Bose. He was taken to the hospital immediately. Details are awaited on his status.
Jose Pardo momentarily silenced the Mohun Bagan fans when he launched a piledriver from outside the box but on this occasion Vishal Kaith was on the money.
Just 2 minutes before regulation time, Dimi Petratos turned the Yubabharati Krirangan into a frenzy as the Australian fired a rebound into the East Bengal net for an equalizer.
Despite the result, this Derby will be remembered for two promising youngsters – Ayush Dev Chhetri (East Bengal) and Amandeep Singh (Mohun Bagan). Ayush, who replaced key midfielder Souvik Chakraborty serving suspension, stole the limelight by scoring the opener. Amandeep, on the other hand, replaced Mariners’ defensive stalwart Anwar Ali and showcased his mettle.
2-2 is perhaps a fair result. It was a game of intensity but very average skill. And every goal was because of a defensive lapse, which will leave both the Kolkata giants worried as they go onto the home stretch of the ISL.
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Mohun Bagan 2-2 East Bengal#EastBengal #MohunBagan #KolkataDerby pic.twitter.com/0DrezC0brX
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 3, 2024