Match Review:
Season's first derby had all the settings of a perfect showdown as Mohun Bagan hosted East Bengal in perfect November evening under the mystical lights at the monstrous Salt Lake stadium. 85000 odd attendance both teams armed to teeth and desperate to gain bragging rights of their arch rivals.Mohun Bagan Coach Karim Bencherifa had to slot in someone for Echezona as the Nigerian defender missed out due to Red Card suspension from last game.
Karim Bencherifa known for his tactical shrewdness paired Aibor and Rowilson as central defenders and Pritam Kotal and Shouvik Ghosh were the side backs, his tactical move was to play Defender Kinshuk Debnath as a defensive blanket screen infront of the back fore to adsorb the attacking threat of Chidi and Sueoka .Denson played as a holding medio while Katsumi was playing down the left flank had a special assignement to stop East Bengal right back Naoba from overlapping and Sabeeth on the right flank,Odafa and Eric formed the upfront duo. Mohun Bagan got an earlky chance as Eric Muranda was relased with a brilliant through ball from Odafa from the midfield but the Kenyan striker failed to hit the target.
Mohun Bagan defense looked compact but East Bengal's midfield had more creative options in form of Sueka-Dika-Lobo while Khabra and Mehtab were brilliant defending as well as pushing forward whenevr needed to put Mohun Bagan defence under pressure.Lobo and Sueoka had some creative moments and presented good creative football in the midfield while Dika and Khabra provided threat with their off the ball runs to increase men while pushing and with their occasional long rangers.
Despite all odds and without the athletic defender Eche,Mohun Bagan defence looked pretty solid especillay Aibor was good with heading and covering to Edeh Chidi,Rowlison was good with his tackles and intercepts and the star performer was Pritam Kotal who had a busy day on his derby debut and showed expetional defending as well as his overlapping skills.Sueoka got the best chance for East Bnegal as he found the goalkeeper at his mercy with one-on-one situation but an alert Shilton Paul rushed forward to deny Riuji Sueoka a definite goal
With Chidi stifled for space East Bengal looked to press forward with their attacks from both flanks as Dika and Lobo looked threatninng and they took control of the midfield.Odafa and Eric had few odd chances but their fitness was under microscope as they failed to create any clear cut openings with close marking from Arnab and Mehtabs' double covering. As first half ended goalless second half started with more open play as both sides looked to steal goal. Second half saw some changes, as Mama came on for an injured Tulunga and then came the moment of the match ! Dika found some open space 30 yards out as Denson failed to closed down on him and the Mizo wonderboy unleashed a powerful left footer which dipped to perfection as a diving Shilton failed to punch it over-A world Class Goal and the moment of individual briiliance that made all the difference. Odafa too had his moment as he shrugg off a challenge from Opara and went into the box with the entire East Bnegal defence trying to stop him eventually smothered his way through the defenders and found himself infront of the Goalkeeper but failed to score as he hit the ball at an easy height for goalkeeper Abhjit Mondal to save it.
Mohun Bagan Coach tried all his tricks to find an equalizer as Ram Malik and Shankar Oraon were thrown off but East Bengal managed to hold off to the lead and the Ferguson of Indian football Mr.Armando Colaco tasted his first Kolkata Derby win in his first match as the Coach of East Bengal.
Both team played good football and the goalkeepers of both the teams had a busy day under the bar but at the end Dika's wonder goal was the highlight of the game as the young Mohun Bagan team showed a brave effort with young brigade but had to end in a losing side ! A great Derby game for the spectators and 03 important points for East Bengal was testified by Dika's world class goal .
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