News Mania / Piyal Chatterjee / 20th October 2024
In the Indian Super League match on October 19, the Mohun Bagan Super Giants defeated a struggling East Bengal FC 2-0, further solidifying their supremacy in the storied Kolkata derby. With their eighth straight derby triumph at Salt Lake Stadium, the Jose Molina-coached team maintained their stellar ISL winning record.
Due to management issues, East Bengal brought in Oscar Bruzon, a recently hired coach who landed in Kolkata the previous evening after visa issues. His debut was anything from perfect, though, as the Red and Gold brigade lost for the seventh time this season. Even though the game started evenly, Mohun Bagan gained the lead when Jamie McLaren scored the opening goal in the game thanks to a cross-field through pass from Manvir Singh.
Mohun Bagan’s best forward, Dimitri Petratos, scored from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to seal the victory. After East Bengal goalie Prabhsimran Gill made a thoughtless defensive error and fouled Petratos, who entered the game as a substitute, Petratos won the penalty himself.
The main issue East Bengal faced in this game was their incapacity to complete offensive plays. The team’s offensive movements showed some improvement, but they struggled in the last third once more. There was no breakthrough even after captain Cleiton Silva was replaced in the second half by Dimitrios Diamantakos. Despite having a wealth of attacking potential, the Red and Gold lack the poise to turn opportunities into goals.
Jose Molina was unsatisfied despite winning because his team’s performance was lackluster. They wasted a number of good chances, including one early on when McLaren, who was unmarked, blasted straight at the goalie. Mohun Bagan was able to take advantage of East Bengal’s sloppy defense, but more formidable competition might not be so understanding. Mohun Bagan moved up to second place with 10 points after this win, while East Bengal is still at the bottom of the table and hasn’t earned a point in five games.
