Mohun Bagan will face East Bengal in the Durand Cup 2025 quarter-final on 17 August
Mohun Bagan have won one more Durand Cup tile than East Bengal, but EBFC have a head-to-head advantage over their rivals
Both Mohun Bagand and East Bengal will miss key players ahead of the Kolkata Derby
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are set to face fierce city rivals East Bengal FC in the Durand Cup 2025 quarter-final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday, 17 August. The first Kolkata Derby of the Durand Cup will see the two footballing giants of India battle it out to seal a place in the last-four of Asia’s oldest tournament.
The Kolkata-based clubs have been in flawless form in the Durand Cup so far. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, pitted in Groups A and B respectively, won all three of their matches and ended at the top with nine points.
Mohun Bagan’s best performance of the group stage was the 5-1 win over Diamond Harbour FC, while East Bengal swept up their group with results like the opening-day 5-0 win over South United and the 6-1 victory over Indian Air Force.
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are two of the most successful teams in the Durand Cup. The Mariners have won the tournament a record 17 times, while East Bengal have won 16.
Across all competitions, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have faced each other 404 times, including in friendlies. The Red and Gold Brigade have a slight head-to-head advantage, winning 143 of those encounters, compared to Mohun Bagan’s 133. 129 matches ended in draws.
The last Kolkata Derby saw East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan 3-2 in the Calcutta Football League (CFL). However, at top-tier levels, Mohun Bagan have won four straight derbies, and are unbeaten in the Indian Super League with nine wins in 10 games.
“We are not thinking about past results. Our team also has experience,” East Bengal skipper Souvik Chakrabarti said. “Derby is always about the given day, always the present day matters. Past results won't have any bearing. Derby is always 50-50.”
Ahead of the crucial fixture, both sides will be missing key players. Mohun Bagan will be without Manvir Singh, Kiyan Nassiri, and defender Subhashis Bose due to injury issues, confirmed head coach Jose Molina.
“I understand that this is Durand Cup, an official tournament, and we all want to win it. But this is a pre-season match. And we are not going to see the best of Mohun Bagan,” Molina said ahead of the match. “I am sure we are not going to see the best of East Bengal as well at the moment.”
East Bengal’s star midfield anchor, Mohammed Bassim Rashid, has returned to Palestine following the death of his father. In his absence, coach Oscar Bruzon will rely on Miguel Figueira and Hamid Ahadad to shoulder the creative responsibilities.
“Mohun Bagan have a lot of quality players, lot of respect for them. They are champions for a reason. We know that tomorrow is going to be a tough game for both sides,” East Bengal manager Bruzon said. “Our team is much stronger than what it was last year.”
The Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal, Durand Cup 2025 match is scheduled for 17 August at 7:00 PM IST.
(With PTI Inputs)