Mohun Bagan’s dominance, East Bengal’s losing streak and other talking points from the Kolkata derby in the ISL

The Torchbearers’ worrisome plight continued despite a change in management.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated the struggling Emami East Bengal FC 2-0 in the first Kolkata Derby of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Saturday at the Salt Lake Stadium. This marks the fifth consecutive loss for East Bengal FC in this season of the country’s top-tier football competition.

Mohun Bagan started attacking from the first minute of the game. They attempted many shots, but Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, the Torchbearers’ custodian, denied them each time. The deadlock was finally broken in the 41st minute when Jamie Maclaren collected a cross and passed Gill with a sharp shot into the bottom corner.

Dimitri Petratos scored the final goal of the game, by converting a penalty in the 89th minute. The Mariners continued with the same attacking intensity in the second half, dominating the game with 57.6% possession.

With that in mind, let us look at the talking points from the game.

East Bengal’s struggles deepen as Oscar Bruzón faces tough challenge

After losing against Shillong Lajong in the Durand Cup, in the AFC Champions League Two preliminary stages, and currently five consecutive matches in the Indian Super League, the losing run continues for the Red & Gold Brigade. Following these very struggles, the club replaced head coach Carles Cuadrat with Oscar Bruzón.

Oscar Bruzón arrived in Kolkata this morning. He managed the match from the bench and now has a lot of work to do to revive one of India’s historic clubs. From defensive lapses to attacking issues, much needs improvement.

The club’s main problem is that if they concede first, it’s hard for them to make a comeback. In the last 30 matches of ISL, including today’s derby, East Bengal has lost 26 games and drawn four. As the club struggles in the early period of the season, can the Spanish tactician lead the team to make a comeback?

Anwar booed by Mariners fans, Gill impresses in tough Kolkata derby

After all the transfer drama, Anwar Ali played his first Kolkata Derby for his new club, East Bengal, against his former club, Mohun Bagan.

He was solid in the backline, making four clearances in the first half, until the 40th minute, when he missed covering Jamie Maclaren, who collected a cross from Manvir Singh to score the first goal of the Kolkata Derby. Whenever the defender touched the ball, the Mariners’ fans loudly booed him.

However, Prabhsukhan can hold his head high despite the loss. In his comeback match for East Bengal as custodian, he made three world-class saves in the first half and denied many more in the second half, although he conceded a penalty. Gill had been out of the team’s starting eleven after the second game against the Kerala Blasters.

Molina’s Mariners regain form, with Maclaren leading the attack

Returning Spanish tactician José Molina was highly criticized by fans after Mohun Bagan struggled in the first three matches of the season. The Mariners drew against Mumbai City FC, had a lucky win against NorthEast United FC, and faced defeat against Bengaluru FC.

However, they made a comeback against their city rivals, Mohammedan SC, dominating the match and winning by a margin of 3-0. The Mariners dominated the first Kolkata Derby against East Bengal FC. They controlled the midfield, were defensively solid, and displayed sharp attacking.

On the offensive end, the team now has a lot of options. Australian Jamie MacLaren signed with the Mariners on a four-year contract. With two goals in the last two games, the five-time A-League Golden Boot winner and all-time A-League top scorer elevated the team to among the league’s leading contenders.

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