East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan IFA Shield 2026 Final: Three player battles to watch out for in Kolkata Derby
A 2025 Shield Final recap is set to start at 6:15 pm
The IFA Shield 2026 final is shaping up to be a highly entertaining one as rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are poised to face off in a high-octane encounter on Thursday (8 October, 2026).
This will mark the second straight IFA Shield final that will be contested between these two sides, and it’ll be a clash that neither side will want to lose just before the start of the new Indian Super League (ISL) season.
East Bengal were able to defeat Mohun Bagan in their previous derby in the 2026 Durand Cup final, which means the Mariners will seek revenge this time around. The IFA Shield final is definitely going to be a heated and high-intensity affair, where a few key battles might be decisive in giving one side the advantage over the other.
Both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have quality players on all sides of the pitch, even if one was to leave out the India national team players who might not be fully available for this final.
Hence, these key battles between the quality players can be decisive in determining which side gains control of the game. Here, we look at the three key battles for the upcoming IFA Shield final between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
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3. David Lalhlansanga vs Rahul Bheke
David Lalhlansanga is heading into the IFA Shield final with a ton of momentum behind him, after having impressed for East Bengal in their recent 7-2 win over NorthEast United. The Indian forward scored a hat-trick against the Highlanders and is flying high on confidence heading into this upcoming clash against Mohun Bagan.
However, David will probably face a tricky test in the derby with the Mariners’ experienced defender Rahul Bheke ready to neutralise East Bengal’s attacking threat. Bheke has already helped the Mariners keep two clean sheets in the IFA Shield, including one against the tricky Punjab FC in their last match.
The experienced defender will look to track the movement of David, not allowing him enough free space to cause damage in the final third and making crucial challenges inside the box to frustrate his opponents. That is why Lalhlansanga will need to be particularly agile with his movement against Mohun Bagan, needing to slip past his marker to put the Mariners under pressure.
More than anything else, David has to be as clinical as he was against NorthEast United in the final to give East Bengal an upper hand in possibly winning the clash.
2. Lee Erwin vs David Zivulic
Lee Erwin has been pretty prolific in his start for Mohun Bagan at the IFA Shield, having scored twice for them in the three matches played so far. The Scottish forward is looking pretty sharp with his work in the frontline, but will be facing his biggest challenge yet against the East Bengal side in the IFA Shield final.
That means Erwin needs to significantly pick up his performance levels for him to threaten the Torchbearers’ backline, which will also be commanded by the confident David Zivulic.
Indeed, the IFA Shield final should see the first head-to-head battle between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal’s new foreign signings and one that should cause a lot of fireworks in the East Bengal half. Erwin will need to be particularly strong in winning duels and holding off Zivulic’s threat, as well as needing to be sneaky in getting into the prime areas to score goals.
However, the East Bengal centre-back will be determined to frustrate the Mohun Bagan striker with some stringent marking and not allow him much free space to threaten at all. This battle should be a really back-and-forth one, and winning it could be crucial for the Mariners’ chances of taking control of the IFA Shield final.
1. Miguel Figueira vs Mohammed Rashid
The IFA Shield 2026 final should mark the first time that Miguel Figueira starts in a Kolkata derby against former side East Bengal, and that itself should cause sparks to fly between the two teams. Figueira will look to help his new side get an upper hand over his old employers and look to steal the spotlight in the upcoming derby.
Miguel’s capabilities are well known across both sides, with the Brazilian midfielder being dynamic enough to win key duels in the midfield, carry the ball into danger zones and create dangerous stuff in the final third. Figueira will also be coming up against a former teammate in the form of Mohamad Rashid, who will definitely be out to embarrass him in this clash.
Rashid is the only foreigner from East Bengal’s 2025-26 ISL-winning squad to have been retained by the squad, and he’ll look to prove why in the IFA Shield final. Rashid will, of course, look to contribute in the attack with clever forward passes and also looking to get at the end of c hances. However, his priority will be to neutralise Rashid’s threat with his clever work.
Indeed, Figueira will need to be particularly unpredictable with how he moves around and with his final product to get the better of Rashid in the midfield battle. Whoever ends up winning this tussle will provide a major confidence boost to their team, which can be prolific in helping them get the win.
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