Five talking points from Mohun Bagan's Kolkata Derby win in Durand Cup 2026

Mohun Bagan SG begin their Durand Cup 2026 campaign on a winning note

Mohun Bagan SG were able to get their 2026 Durand Cup campaign off to a stellar start with a gritty 1-0 win over East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Saturday (25 July 2026). The Mariners were able to win their first match under new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, all thanks to a well-taken finish from Sahal Abdul Samad in the 52nd minute.

It wasn’t really the most eye-catching performance from the Mariners, whose players still look to be gaining match fitness as they’re involved in pre-season work before the beginning of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026-27.

Mohun Bagan SG were able to entertain their fans with some entertaining attacking moves, but they couldn’t really dominate their rivals as much as their faithful would’ve liked – with the Torchbearers boasting more ball possession in the game.

However, Panagiotis will at least be pleased that his side was able to get a win in a major occasion like the Kolkata derby in their first match under him.

He must’ve also learnt some key observations about how the players are adapting to his style and what aspects of his team needs to be improved upon.

Here, we look at five talking points from Mohun Bagan SG’s win over East Bengal in the 2026 Durand Cup opener.

Rahul Bheke, an ideal centre-back partner for Alberto Rodriguez

Panagiotis Dilmperis opted to go with a centre-back pairing of Rahul Bheke and Mehtab Singh for the big game against East Bengal, knowing both will be motivated to impress.

However, it was Bheke who managed to arguably produce a better showing across the entire game as he was a proactive figure in the backline for the Mariners. Bheke utilized his experience levels to allow his side to absorb pressure pretty well against the East Bengal attacks, especially in the second half.

The India international made a number of notable clearances and his impressive positioning in & around his penalty area enabled Bheke to ruin a number of big chances for East Bengal.

Bheke’s impressive display proved that he is currently the ideal candidate to partner up alongside Alberto Rodriguez in the centre-back pairing, as he looks a better suit to playing with the Spaniard than Mehtab or Alex Saji.

Manvir Singh’s struggles as a number 9

With Jamie Maclaren not available for this game, Panagiotis showcased his faith in Manvir Singh to play the India international as his no.9 against East Bengal. Manvir, who started his career as a centre-forward, had the chance to prove that he can be an ideal alternative for Maclaren in spearheading the Mariners’ frontline.

However, he failed to really stand out in the centre-forward role or be able to get the better of the East Bengal centre-backs. Manvir did try to make a few clever runs in behind the defenders, but his final product was disappointing.

He failed to create any noteworthy chance by himself and couldn’t really position all that well inside the box to get at the end of crosses to enhance his side’s goal-scoring threat. Manvir just doesn’t seem to possess the ruthlessness of a striker anymore and has to work on his finishing to be able to play as a no.9 for the Mariners on a consistent basis.

Super Vishal Kaith at it again

Even though the Mariners did get the job done with a win in their first game under a new coach, it took a lot of grit for them to do so.

Mohun Bagan had to endure a lot of attacking move from their rivals, especially after taking the lead in the second half. Fortunately for the Kolkata giants, they had a brilliant Vishal Kaith in between the sticks to save the defenders for a lapse in concentration. Kaith was a really proactive figure in the Mariners’ goal, showcasing excellent reflexes to make a string of important saves.

He was particularly superb in denying Mohammed Rashid from close distance in the late stages of the game, showcasing his amazing shot-stopping heroics.

Kaith continues to maintain impressive consistency in his game with his ability to bail Mohun Bagan out of tough situations, and Panagiotis will hope his goalkeeper can keep up his great form throughout the 2026-27 season.

Lack of midfield disruptor a cause for concern

Mohun Bagan might’ve gotten the derby victory joy against East Bengal, but their performance itself was a pretty scrappy one that left fans wanting much more. The Mariners allowed their rivals to keep the majority of the possession, trying to create chances on the transitions and being willing to absorb pressure.

However, Mohun Bagan were underwhelming when it came to their midfield battle because the East Bengal midfielders were often allowed too much of freedom to get the ball up the field. Neither Anirudh Thapa nor Lalengmawia Ralte were all that good when it came to recovering possession or putting intense pressure on the opposition players.

They just couldn’t play the role of a play breaker that well, failing to stop the East Bengal build-up play in the midfield itself. The Mariners’ midfielders also struggled with winning the second balls or failing to stop East Bengal players from taking shots on target, putting Kaith under more pressure.

Panagiotis will definitely want his midfielders to be much more aggressive in breaking the opposition’s build-up play better, and will hope that Samir Zeljkovic and Miguel Figueira can improve their energy levels and unpredictability in regaining possession in key areas to help them stay in control of matches much better.

Sahal Abdul Samad impresses under Panagiotis Dilmperis

Sahal Abdul Samad was arguably the biggest positive for Mohun Bagan in their 1-0 win over East Bengal in the 2026 Durand Cup opener. The 29-year-old midfielder seems to have found his best rhythm under the new gaffer’s system, and he looks to be really thriving from the freedom granted to him in the opposition area by Panagiotis as well.

Sahal was a big threat with his link-up play, helping move his side forward really well and he also put pressure on the opposition players well to bring energy to the Mohun Bagan attack.

He showcased his impressive eye for goal and off-the-ball movement skills in scoring the winning goal, as well as being able to carry the ball into the danger areas really well.

Samad will, of course, need to maintain consistency with goal contributions after Miguel Figueira arrives to enhance the competitiveness for places in the Mohun Bagan no.10 role, but it seems that the freedom granted to him by Panagiotis has inspired Sahal to play with more vigor and take more risks to benefit the Mariners’ attack.

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