Rivals Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal FC meet at Salt Lake Stadium tonight for the 135th Durand Cup title
Mohun Bagan won their opening group derby 1-0, but East Bengal has been flawless since
Both clubs have five final wins against each other
Rivals Mohun Bagan SG and East Bengal FC meet at Salt Lake Stadium tonight for the 135th Durand Cup title
Mohun Bagan won their opening group derby 1-0, but East Bengal has been flawless since
Both clubs have five final wins against each other
The 135th Durand Cup is set to conclude with the ultimate heavyweight clash as traditional rivals East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant lock horns in the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium).
Four weeks after kicking off the tournament at the exact same venue, the famed Kolkata Derby returns with the oldest trophy in Asian football and ultimate bragging rights on the line.
Mohun Bagan enter the summit clash as the defending group-stage victor of this fixture, having edged East Bengal 1-0 on July 25 thanks to a decisive second-half strike from Sahal Abdul Samad.
Following that opening win, the Mariners dismantled South United FC 8-0 and CISF Protectors 6-0, before demonstrating immense composure under pressure to navigate past Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC via tense penalty shootouts in the knockouts.
Ever since that opening-day setback, East Bengal has played with near-flawless intensity to avenge their only defeat of the season. The Red and Gold Brigade recorded emphatic 8-0 and 5-0 victories in the group stage, edged Indian Army 1-0 in the quarter-finals, and showed nerves of steel by overcoming Sporting Club Delhi through a tie-breaker in a tight semi-final encounter.
Statistically, there is almost nothing to separate the two finalists defensively, as both teams have conceded just a single goal across their six matches leading up to the final. While Mohun Bagan holds a slight edge in the attacking department with 16 goals compared to East Bengal's 14, East Bengal's proven ability to navigate difficult, low-scoring knockout matches balances the scales completely.
This historic fixture marks the 13th time the two Kolkata giants are meeting in a Durand Cup final, with past encounters deadlocked at five wins apiece alongside two instances as joint winners. Record 17-time champions Mohun Bagan are hunting for crown number 18 to extend their legacy, while East Bengal has everything to play for as they look to draw level at 17 titles and exact sweet revenge on the biggest stage of Indian football.
One can catch the live streaming of the Durand Cup 2026 on Sony LIV app and website. Catch the telecast of the Durand Cup football matches on Sony Sports 5 and Sony Sports 5 HD TV channels in India. The Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal Durand Cup final has a scheduled time of 5:00 PM IST.
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