Sahal Abdul Samad scores as Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0 in Durand Cup opener | Football News

Photo credit: X/@thedurandcup

Mohun Bagan Supergiants kicked off their Durand Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over arch-rivals East Bengal in the opening match of the Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.Sahar Abdul Samad The only goal of the game was scored in the 52nd minute, with goalkeeper Vishal Kess making a series of important saves. mohun bagan Keep a clean sheet.The decisive moment came after Mohun Bagan pressed high. Youngster Kiyan Nassiri won possession near the East Bengal penalty area before sprinting towards the line and slotting the ball into the goal. Manvir Singh tried a backheel but failed to make contact with the ball and it rolled to Sahar who fired it into the empty net.The win marked the start of a winning streak for new Mohun Bagan head coach Panagiotis Dilberis.

His team stayed organized throughout the match, with Kaith leading the defense and Rahul Bheke helping to keep East Bengal’s attackers quiet.It was a false start for East Bengal under new coach Antonio Habas, although the performance improved after the break.The first half was evenly matched, with Mohun Bagan gaining more chances on the ball while East Bengal looked to create chances on the counter-attack. Neither team had a clear scoring chance before halftime as both defenses were tight.East Bengal turned up the pressure in the final 15 minutes and spent a long time searching for an equalizer in Mohun Bagan’s half.Jeakson Singh tried to find PV Vishnu with a long ball from deep, but the ball did not go out. Moments later, Mohammad Rashid volleyed for the first time after meeting a loose ball on the edge of the box, but Deepak Tangri was able to block the shot in time.East Bengal’s best chance came in the 87th minute when Vishnu crossed from the left. Danny Ramirez touched the ball at the near post, but the ball hit the outside of the post and fell behind.Keys made the decisive save of the game in the second minute of injury time. Ramirez’s cross to the far post was met by Rasheed from close range, but Keyes dived to his right and saved from close range to seal the win for Mohun Bagan.The action continues in Ranchi on Sunday, with Jamshedpur FC taking on defending champions NorthEast United in a Group C match.