Great chance for the men in red and gold! East Bengal go through on goal as David Hmar latches on to a lovely pass from the midfield. David cuts in, feints past a defender and then shoots, but his effort is blocked! Great chance for East Bengal.

27' EB 0-0 MB

Mohun Bagan see a penalty appeal turned down by the referee! A cross from the right by Manvir is met by Sahal on the left of the box. Sahal takes a shot, but it's blocked by an East Bengal defender. Sahal vehemently appeals for handball, but the referee waves play on.

On replay, the ball did seem to strike the arm of the East Bengal defender, but it can be argued that the hand wasn't in an unnatural position.

25' EB 0-0 MB

A bright spell for East Bengal now, with Bipin Singh heavily involved on the right wing. A low cross from him is cleared away, the move builds back up to Bipin again, but Mohun Bagan put in some good defending on the far side.

Moments later, Bipin swings in a left-footed aerial cross towards the far post, but it's just beyond the man in the box.

21' EB 0-0 MB

A potential break for Mohun Bagan as Kiyan Nassiri drives forward down the right wing with space in front. Kiyan delivers a low cross into the box, but East Bengal manage to defend it. Mohun Bagan ultimately manage a shot, but it's easy for Prabhsukhan Gill.

18' EB 0-0 MB

While there haven't been any clear-cut chances so far, both teams are moving the ball quickly and looking to go on the front foot. Mohun Bagan a bit more so than East Bengal at the moment.

15' EB 0-0 MB

Mohun Bagan have won a free-kick on the left wing. Anirudh Thapa and Liston Colaco line up, but Thapa ultimately leaves it for Liston to take. Mohun Bagan's No. 7 goes for goal but slams it over the bar!

8' EB 0-0 MB

WE ARE LIVE! It's kickoff at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. It is a clash of the Indian players in both teams, with no overseas players in either starting XI. East Bengal are attacking from right to left. Here we go!

1' EB 0-0 MB

Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have new head coaches heading into the 2026-27 season. Mohun Bagan have Greek Panagiotis Dilmperis at the helm, while East Bengal have appointed ex-MB manager Antonio Lopez Habas!

We are less than 10 minutes away from kickoff at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, Kolkata. We are going to have the customary army march ahead of the clash. The players are about to enter the pitch!

And here's the East Bengal starting XI that will take on Mohun Bagan today in the derby.

The two sides have met more than 20 times in the tournament, East Bengal holding a narrow edge, and contested a dozen Durand Cup finals between them, the most recent in 2004, with East Bengal winning six to Mohun Bagan's four and two shared. It was in this very fixture, in 2023, that the record champions finally broke a 23-year wait for the trophy, beating their old rivals 1-0 in the final to claim that 17th title. Few rivalries anywhere carry quite this kind of built-in tension.

Your chosen XI for the biggest game #MBSG #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন pic.twitter.com/cvOnB3NVLA

— Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) July 25, 2026

The Mariners will walk into the tournament as the most decorated club, with 17 Durand Cup titles -- a tally unmatched in the history of the event. The Red and Gold Brigade trail by the width of a single trophy, 16 to their name, close enough that every fresh meeting between the two feels like a chance to close the gap or stretch it.

Another chapter will be added to the oldest rivalry when East Bengal FC take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Kolkata Derby on Saturday as the two Kolkata giants open the 135th Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Asia's oldest football tournament could not have picked a bigger fixture to mark the occasion, handing its very first whistle of the season to the rivalry that defines Indian club football.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Durand 2026 opener between the arch-rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, straight from the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.