Mohun Bagan players celebrate after securing a draw against East Bengal after their ISL encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Mohun Bagan SG fought back twice from being a goal down to hold traditional rival East Bengal 2-2 in an intensely contested action of the first Kolkata derby of the ISL-10, at the Salt Lake Stadium here on Saturday.
Mohun Bagan had won all previous six meetings with its arch rival ever since the two started playing in the ISL.
East Bengal took the initiative with a goal in the third minute that set the tone of the highly charged contest. East Bengal got its opener through the left after Nishu Kumar sent a measured cross that found midfielder Ajay Chhetri. The midfielder stuck his leg out to divert the ball into the net before the Mohun Bagan defence could react.
Mohun Bagan gradually clawed back into the match and found the equaliser in the 17th minute off Armando Sadiku who latched on to a Brendan Hamill floater to find the target. The action remained quite evenly contested till half-time. Sadiku could have doubled his tally in the 40th minute but the Albanian striker shot over an open goal.
East Bengal looked a more composed side after the break and regained the lead in the 55th minute off a penalty. Cleiton Silva found the target from the spot as East Bengal appeared to be headed for a win.
Desperate to keep its unbeaten derby record in the ISL intact, Mohun Bagan fought back again and restored parity in the 87th minute off Dimitri Petratos.
The result: Mohun Bagan SG 2 (Sadiku 17, Petratos 87) drew with East Bengal 2 (Ajay Chhetri 3, Cleiton Silva 55-pen).