As Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC gear up for the 400th Kolkata Derby in ISL 2024-25, we look back at five unforgettable matches that defined the rivalry
The air is thick with anticipation in Kolkata as the first Kolkata Derby of the ISL 2024-25 approaches, a match that will mark the 400th clash between two of Indian football’s fiercest rivals – Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC. On October 19, 2024, at 7:30 PM IST, the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) will once again become the epicentre of a football frenzy. As fans gear up for yet another chapter in this historic rivalry, let’s take a walk down memory lane and relive the top five iconic Kolkata Derby battles that have defined this storied fixture.
The 1975 IFA Shield final was a match that will forever live in the hearts of East Bengal fans. The Red and Gold brigade not only won the coveted trophy but did so in jaw-dropping style, demolishing Mohun Bagan 5-0. This remains the biggest margin of victory in Kolkata Derby history.
29th September 1975: coach PK Banerjee kisses Shyam Thapa after his East Bengal defeated arch rivals Mohun Bagan 5-0 in the IFA Shield final. Thapa scored twice. It remains the biggest margin of victory in the Kolkata derby till date #eastbengal #ifashield pic.twitter.com/53JinDNmMZ
— Trinanjan Chakraborty (@TrinanjanChakr4) September 29, 2021
For East Bengal supporters, it’s the ultimate bragging right. The victory was the pinnacle of East Bengal’s dominance in the 1970s, as they claimed six consecutive Calcutta Football League titles. With its emphatic scoreline, the Shield final was the crowning moment of that golden era.
Fast forward to 2009, and Mohun Bagan had their chance for partial redemption. In an I-League clash, Bagan stunned East Bengal with a 5-3 victory, almost matching their rivals’ famous scoreline from 1975.
While Bagan couldn’t keep a clean sheet, the five goals they netted against their arch-rivals were enough to soothe some of the wounds from that long-ago defeat. Nigerian goal-machine Chidi Edeh scored 4 stunning goals for Bagan to clinch the victory.
This was no ordinary derby. With over 1,31,000 fans in attendance at Salt Lake Stadium, it was a match that captivated the entire city. On that fateful day in 1997, East Bengal ran riot with a 4-1 victory, as Baichung Bhutia scored the first-ever hat-trick in a Kolkata Derby. It wasn’t just a game but the defeat of the much-hyped ‘Diamond System’ coached by Mohun Bagan’s Amal Dutta.
East Bengal’s legendary coach, P.K. Banerjee, had the last laugh. His simple yet effective ‘Vocal Tonic’ approach inspired his players to outclass Bagan, leaving their fans in disbelief. Bhutia, the Sikkimese Sniper, became an instant hero and a name that would be remembered in Derby folklore for generations.
Mohun Bagan was poised to win the National Football League title, but East Bengal had other plans. On March 22, 2000, the Red and Gold brigade pulled off a shocking 3-1 upset victory over Bagan, who had been the outright favourites.
Falguni Dutta’s brace and a goal from Ghanaian Jackson Agyapong sealed the win, while Brazilian star Jose Bareto’s lone reply for Bagan was not enough to prevent their fans from showing their disappointment by burning flags and emblems.
If ever there was a match that left fans on the edge of their seats, it was the 2007 Calcutta Football League Derby. With Mohun Bagan racing to a 4-1 lead, it seemed as though they had the game wrapped up. S. Venkatesh’s double and goals from Lalawmpuia and Jose Barreto had put Bagan in control.
But East Bengal weren’t done yet. Alvito D’Cunha and Edmilson pulled two goals back to make it 4-3, and in the dying moments, a golden opportunity to equalize was squandered by Dipendu Biswas, who missed a sitter.
