An Overview of the Kolkata Sides - East Bengal and Mohun Bagan

A new Indian Super League season is about to start and both Kolkata clubs have a lot on the line. With Mohun Bagan Super Giant being the defending champions and also participating in the AFC Cup, the fans of the Green and Maroon sides have huge expectations. On the other hand, East Bengal on paper have built their best ever squad since getting entry into the Indian Super League and would be looking to make it to the ISL Playoffs this season.

Both clubs have had a great summer transfer window where both sides made some great additions to their rosters. The Mohun Bagan Super Giants have shown their faith in Juan Ferrando, the team's head coach, who led them to the championship. They also had a strong start to the season, taking home the Durand Cup.

East Bengal has made changes in terms of its top bosses. Former ISL-winning coach Carles Cuadrat has been appointed as the head coach, while his player at Bengaluru FC, Dimas Delgado, will be serving as the assistant coach. Reaching the Durand Cup final and winning the first Kolkata Derby of the season indicates their strength ahead of the ISL.

Going into this season, Mohun Bagan Super Giant is the most valuable club in the Indian Super League, with a staggering value standing at ₹66 crore. The next-best club on the list is Kerala Blasters FC, with a ₹48.6 crore value. Meanwhile, East Bengal FC is currently placed 8th in the ranking of the most valuable club in the ISL this season, with a ₹33.2 crore value.

Who are the Most Valuable Players of the Kolkata sides?

Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, captain Subhasish Bose, defender Anwar Ali, Liston Colaco, and Sahal Abdul Samad are the top 5 Indian most valuable players in the club, all of whom have a ₹2.2 crore market value. Australian striker Jason Cummings is the most valuable player in the squad as well as the league, with a market value of ₹9.6 crore.

Talking about East Bengal, Nandha Kumar Sekar is the most valuable Indian in the squad, with a 2.2 crore value. The next best are Prabhsukhan Singh Gill and Naorem Mahesh Singh, both with ₹2 crores of value, followed by Mandar Rao Desai, Suhair VP, Nishu Kumar, and Lalchungnunga, all with ₹1.4 crores of value. Australian defender Jordan Elsey is the most valuable player in the club but is likely to be out for the season due to injury.

The matches between the two clubs, known as the Kolkata Derby, have been mostly dominated by Mohun Bagan Super Giant recently. In the last five Kolkata derbies, Mohun Bagan has won four of them, while East Bengal FC won the group stage match in the Durand Cup on August 12 with a Nandha Kumar goal.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant will kick-off its Indian Super League (ISL) campaign against newly promoted Punjab FC on the 23rd of September 2023 while East Bengal will play their opening match against Jamshedpur FC on the 25th of September 2023. The Kolkata Derby in the Indian Super League is scheduled on 28 October 2023.