East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan Preview - Team news, lineups for Kolkata Derby | Durand Cup 2026

The Durand Cup 2026 will kick off with the Kolkata Derby on Saturday, July 25 at VYBK.

The Durand Cup 2026 is poised to kick off in exciting fashion with the Kolkata Derby, when East Bengal and Mohun Bagan SG lock horns for the first time in the 2026-27 season on Saturday (25 July 2026).

With both sides looking to kick-start their campaign in a bright fashion under the guidance of new head coaches, this should be a pretty thrilling clash that should be an ideal way of kicking off the newest edition of India’s oldest tournament.

The Stakes

East Bengal FC

For East Bengal, the Durand Cup will mark the beginning of a new era as they gear up to perform under new head coach Antonio Habas. The Torchbearers have had a few changes to their squad from the previous campaign, and they look to kick off this 2026 Durand Cup with a statement-making win.

Habas will be making some changes to East Bengal’s playing style compared to last season, and he’ll need his side to maintain a sturdy defensive shape to frustrate the Mariners.

He’ll also urge them to be clinical on the transitions and with their attacking rhythm to be able to get a big result. A commanding win for East Bengal in their first match under the Spaniard will be a huge confidence booster for the squad, but a crushing loss can cause an unnecessary dip in morale.

Mohun Bagan SG

Mohun Bagan SG are also going to start their new era under Panagiotis Dilmperis in the first match of the Durand Cup, with the Greek gaffer facing a stern challenge with the Kolkata Derby as his first match.

Dilmperis will definitely be pushing his players to control the game smartly and play some incisive attacking football, as he tests out which players would be ideal fits for his system with the Mariners.

He’ll need to get his tactics right and for his side to maintain a compact shape for them to outwit the tricky East Bengal side and get a big win.

A commanding win for the Mariners against their arch-rivals in Dilmperis’ first game in charge can be the perfect way to kick off this new era, but a loss could see some questions about the effectiveness of the new gaffer’s system.

Team News

East Bengal are likely to field an all-Indian side for this Durand Cup opener, but midfielder Mohammed Rashid could feature in it.

Mohun Bagan SG are also poised to field mostly Indian players at the Durand Cup, but new forward Dejan Drazic could play against East Bengal after recently joining training.

Head-to-Head Record (All-Time)

Matches Played – 408

Mohun Bagan wins – 134

East Bengal wins – 144

Draws – 130

Predicted Lineups

East Bengal (4-2-3-1)

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohamed Rakip, Anwar Ali, Lalchungnunga, Jay Gupta, Jeakson Singh, Mohammed Rashid, Rohit Kumar, PV Vishnu, Bipin Singh, Edmund Lalrindika

Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1)

Vishal Kaith (GK), Abhishek Singh, Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Singh, Subhasish Bose, Lalengmawia Ralte, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Suhail Bhat

Players to Watchout

PV Vishnu (East Bengal FC)

PV Vishnu is coming at the back of a pretty good 2025-26 ISL campaign with East Bengal, as he managed four goal contributions (one goal, three assists) for them to help them clinch the championship. Now, Vishnu is aiming to earn a bigger role for himself with the Kolkata side under the guidance of new coach Antonio Habas.

Vishnu has already impressed at the Calcutta Football League matches for the Torchbearers and is now aiming to make his presence felt in the Durand Cup.

Vishnu will be looking to make good use of his speed and dribbling skills to move the ball forward quickly and put the opposition defenders under pressure.

He’ll aim to be decisive with his final third passes and crosses to set up chances, and also look to venture into more goal-scoring areas himself to kick-start the Durand Cup campaign with a bang.

Liston Colaco (Mohun Bagan SG)

Liston Colaco is under some pressure to prove his quality for Mohun Bagan in the 2026-27 season, after having been unable to really impress last season. The Durand Cup opener will serve as an ideal platform for Liston to prove to Panagiotis that he can be a key player in his squad and the Indian winger will look to cause major trouble to the East Bengal defenders.

He’ll look to be smart with his quick movement down the wide areas, troubling the defenders and also leading the charge in the attack for the Mariners.

He’ll need to be really decisive with his work in the final third, making smart passes into the box to set up chances and raise Mohun Bagan’s chances of getting a big win.

Colaco will also look to trick his way into the danger zones in the final third and use his powerful shooting to trouble the East Bengal goal and raise his side’s goal-scoring threat.

Did you know?

• Panagiotis Dilmperis is the first Greek head coach to manage Mohun Bagan.
• East Bengal last won the Durand Cup title back in 2004.
• Mohun Bagan have won the Durand Cup 17 times in their history, the most for any team in Indian football.

Telecast Details

The Durand Cup 2026 clash between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Saturday, 25 July (2026).

The match will kick off at 5 PM IST. It will be livestreamed on Sony LIV and be shown live on Sony Ten 2.

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