Ratings: Armando Sadiku, Ajay Chhetri excel to make Mohun Bagan, East Bengal share spoils

A dramatic late equalizer from Dimitri Petratos ensured a point for the Mariners.

Mohun Bagan and East Bengal played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata) in their return to the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 season. The game started in dramatic fashion, with young midfielder Ajay Chhetri giving East Bengal the lead with a  clinical finish in the 3rd minute.

However, Armando Sadiku then equalized in the 17th minute with a brilliant finish. The Red & Gold Brigaders re-took the lead through a Cleiton Silva penalty in the 55th minute, but a dramatic late equalizer from Dimitri Petratos ensured that the Kolkata heavyweights played out a draw for the first time in an ISL.

Mohun Bagan (By Uttiyo Sarkar)

Vishal Kaith – 6.0

Kaith couldn’t really do much to stop either of the goals, but made a few sharp saves to deny their long-range attempts.

Anwar Ali – N/R

Seemed to be rushed back from injury and struggled from the start, being ousted by Nishu before the opener. Picked up a knock after that and had to be taken off.

Hector Yuste – 6.5

Yuste did a relatively decent job at keeping Cleiton isolated and not letting him influence much of the attacks. Was caught in a bad position for the opener, but recovered decently from it.

Brendan Hamill – 7.5

Recovered strongly from a shaky start, producing a superb cross for Sadiku’s goal. Extremely proactive at the back, making four clearances, winning five duels and also playing well as a right-back. Had to be taken off early in the second half due to an injury.

Subashish Bose – 6.0

Subashish had an eventful outing and had to put in a lot of work as a left-back and later as a centre-back. Reacted well to stop a few attacks and imposed himself physically, but also quite aggressive on occasions and booked for that.

Deepak Tangri – 4.5

Tangri was a bit overwhelmed by East Bengal’s intensity in midfield, losing 5/7 duels and being left in scrappy positions. Had to play as a makeshift right-back after Hamill’s injury and ended up giving a penalty away with a push on Mahesh Singh.

Anirudh Thapa – 5.0

Thapa was tidy with his movement, but couldn’t cause much pressure with his defensive work or create anything definitive for his side.

Sahal Abdul Samad – 4.5

Sahal had a pretty underwhelming game, not even being able to complete over 10 passes and failing to really provide the spark in the attack. He did send in a decent cross in the end, forcing the error leading to Petratos’ goal. Hit a late shot at the keeper.

Kiyan Nassiri – 6.5

Kiyan was an energetic presence on the right, making a number of promising forward runs to torment Nishu Kumar. Swung in a few nice crosses into the box, but a booking got him taken off at half-time.

Dimitri Petratos –  7.0

Petratos had a quiet first half, not being able to create much and being isolated in bad positions. But he grew more influential as the game progressed, helping move his side forward efficiently and then was in the right place at the right time for his thunderous strike.

Armando Sadiku – 8.0

Sadiku was a menace to the East Bengal backline with his clever movement and actions in the final third. Scored a brilliant equalizer with a deft finish, but then missed a huge chance later on. Grew exhausted as the game progressed, but kept defenders on their toes.

Substitutes

Amandeep – 7.0

Amandeep was brought on early in the game in his Kolkata Derby debut, but did not crumble under the pressure.  A highly energetic presence in both the wide areas, always offering himself in the attacks. Did a pretty good job defensively too, helping to neutralize a lot of attacking moves.

Manvir Singh – 5.0

Manvir added more pace and physicality on the right-wing but was not really able to create much in the final third.

Glan Martins – 4.0

Martins had an extremely scrappy half after coming on, making too many fouls and often losing possession unnecessarily. Somewhat unfortunate to go through the game without being sent off.

Sumit Rathi – 6.0

Rathi added more solidity to Mohun Bagan’s backline, making a few key clearances and challenges to avert trouble.

Jason Cummings – N/R

Cummings couldn’t really get at the end of anything and had another quiet Kolkata Derby.

East Bengal FC (By Gourav Samal)

Prabhsukhan Gill – 7

Gill’s performance on the field was noteworthy. While the opposition’s attacks were limited in the initial stages, their frequency increased as the match progressed.

Mohammad Rakip – 6

Rakip performed adequately according to his usual standard. He appeared to be out of position at certain points during the match while defending.

Lalchungnunga – 6.5

Lalchungnunga excelled in defensive play, making critical tackles throughout the first half of the match to neutralize potential threats.

Hijazi Maher – 7

Maher’s exceptional clarity in his clearances stood out throughout the game, exuding a palpable confidence on the field.

Nishu Kumar – 7

Nishu assisted Ajay in converting the opportunity into a goal during the third minute of the match.

Ajay Chhetri – 7.5

Ajay Chhetri scored the first goal of the match in the 3rd minute of the game and gave an early lead to his side.

Saul Crespo – 4.5

Crespo lasted only 18 minutes on the field and was replaced due to an injury.

José Antonio Pardo – 7

Pardo displayed exceptional skill with his interception in the midfield and demonstrated increased efficacy with his passing strategies.

Nandha Kumar Sekar – 7.5

Nandhakumar completely dominated the game whenever he got the ball under his boot. He kept on running hard and creating frequent chances in the match.

Cleiton Silva – 7

Other than his commendable performance on the field, Cleiton successfully converted the penalty in the 55th minute to once again take the lead in the match.

Naorem Mahesh Singh – 7

Mahesh was substituted due to an injury; however, until that point, he consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic on the field and exhibited proficiency in delivering accurate short passes in midfield.

Substitutes

Sayan Banerjee – 6.5

Sayan substituted Saul Crespo in the 18th minute following an injury. He made a commendable contribution, but was subsequently substituted in the second half.

Vishnu Puthiya – 5.5

Vishnu was substituted for Sayan Banerjee in the 63rd minute. However, his performance in duels on the field did not demonstrate considerable promise.

Mandar Dessai – 6

Mandar substituted Nishu Kumar in the 63rd minute. Despite displaying skill with the ball, he was unable to replicate the impact created by Visnu in the game.

V.P. Suhair – 6

Suhair replaced Ajay Chhetri in the 70th minute and scored the first goal. His performance included impressive ball control and skillful execution of long passes.

Edwin Vanspaul – 5.5

Edwin replaced Mahesh Naorem in the 70th minute due to an injury. He demonstrated remarkable intensity during the match, particularly when charging onto the field.

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