ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal shifted their century-old rivalry to the Indian Super League stage this season as the two teams shifted base from the I-League.
In the first match played out between the two rivals in the ISL, ATK Mohun Bagan bagged the bragging rights after a 2-0 win over SC East Bengal on Friday.
Goals from Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh settled the contest in Mohun Bagan’s favour in a game that was closer than what the scoreline suggests.
The first meeting in the ISL was, in fact, the 372nd meeting between the two sides (if all competitions are considered). There is very little to choose between the two teams in the overall head-to-head record just showing how closely-fought the rivalry has been over the years.
Here’s the head-to-head record between the two sides in major competitions in Indian football.
ATK Mohun Bagan-East Bengal Head-to-head record
| Competition | Matches Played | East Bengal (SC East Bengal) wins | Mohun Bagan (ATK Mohun Bagan) wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Super League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| NFL / I-League | 45 | 17 | 15 | 13 |
| Federation Cup | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Calcutta Football League | 160 | 53 | 47 | 60 |
| IFA Shield | 41 | 21 | 7 | 13 |
| Durand Cup | 19 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| Rovers Cup | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Total | 300 | 111 | 86 | 103 |
East Bengal lead the overall head-to-head record against Mohun Bagan but the Mariners have won more silverware compared to the rivals.
Trophy comparison
| Competition | Mohun Bagan won | East Bengal won |
|---|---|---|
| National Football League / I-League | 5 | 3 |
| Federation Cup | 14 | 8 |
| Durand Cup | 16 | 16 |
| Indian Super Cup | 2 | 3 |
| Rovers Cup | 14 | 10 |
| IFA Shield | 22 | 29 |
| ASEAN Club Championship | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 73 | 70 |
32.3% - @atkmohunbaganfc have won their first two games of this #HeroISL season recording exactly the same 32.3% possession in both fixtures. Essential #SCEBATKMB
— OptaJeev (@OptaJeev) November 27, 2020
The second Kolkata derby in the 2020-’21 ISL season is yet to be scheduled, and East Bengal, who’ll be much more settled till that game comes around, would look to extract revenge. The Kolkata derby is one of the greatest rivalries in Asian football and, on the evidence of what transpired in Goa on Friday, it is only set to foster further in the ISL.
Stats: Transfemarkt.com
