2 min readJul 25, 2026 07:54 PM ISTEast Bengal attacked with everything they had and Vishal Kaith pulled off a couple of big saves to keep Bagan's lead intact. (Durand Cup copy)Sahal Abdul Samad’s 52nd minute strike and some dogged defending towards the end of the match helped Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat East Bengal in the opening match of the 2026 Durand Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. In what was an end-to-end game, Samad turned in the ball after it was squared to him by Kiyan Nassiri from the right to put Bagan ahead.East Bengal attacked with everything they had and Vishal Kaith pulled off a couple of big saves to keep Bagan’s lead intact. Both sides are being led by new coaches, althought East Bengal’s Antonio Lopez Habas knows all about the intensity of this fixture as he coached Bagan for a number of seasons in the past. Panagiotis Dilmperis, on the other hand, has coached Punjab FC for the past two seasons and so has been in India long enough to know that there are no dead rubbers or friendly matches when it comes to Kolkata derbies. He celebrated the result like he won the Durand Cup itself.Just over two months ago, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan SG played a thriller of a match in the Indian Super League (ISL). The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Jason Cummings equalising for Bagan five minutes after Edmund put East Bengal in front. The result worked in East Bengal’s favour, with the red and yellow brigade winning the title for the first time, their first national league title overall in 22 years.Cumings and a number of other stars were missing on Saturday with many of the foreign players yet to join the two sides. However, this also meant a chance to shine for the domestic talent. Samad and Nassiri were the standout for much of the first half and in the second, until they were substituted shortly after combining to put Bagan ahead. Rohit Danu, who joined East Bengal in the off season from Inter Kashi, also shone in the first half while Liston Colaco made a nuisance of himself on the left-hand flank. The latter, however, was poor with the chances he got to score in the first half.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement