East Bengal FC will be a motivated bunch when they take on arch rivals Mohun Bagan in this season’s first Indian Super League (ISL) Kolkata Derby. It will be an enormous match for the Red and Gold Brigade, who just secured a major trophy in the form of Kalinga Super Cup after a gap of 12 years. Carles Cuadrat’s team have gone through a roller-coaster of emotions since the start of the season. Here, Insidesport takes a look at East Bengal’s memorable 2023-24 journey.
Durand Cup
East Bengal’s season started with the prestigious Durand Cup. Carles Cuadrat and his team were the underdogs going into that tournament. They started slow, drawing their first group game 2-2 with the Bangladesh Army. However, they picked up momentum thereafter beating Mohun Bagan Super Giant (1-0) and Punjab FC (1-0).
Cuadrat’s men won against Gokulam Kerala 2-1 in the quarter final before getting the better of North East United in tiebreaker in the semi-final. They faced Mohun Bagan Super Giant again in the final, but fell short as Mariners clinched the trophy via a solitary goal in the final.
Kalinga Super Cup
East Bengal ensured they shrugged off the Durand Cup final defeat by winning the season’s next cup competition in the form of the Kalinga Super Cup. Nandhakumar Sekar and co. were in blistering form in the Kalinga Super Cup. They started off with a thrilling 3-2 win against Hyderabad FC in the first group stage encounter. The Red & Gold Brigade followed it up with another convincing 2-1 win against Sreenidi Deccan FC.
East Bengal were eager to avenge the derby loss in the Durand final, and they did so in magnificent style. The Red & Gold brigade came from behind to knock the Mariners out of the competition and secure a 3-1 win. A 2-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC in the semi-final sealed their spot in the final where they faced Odisha FC. The final was a roller-coaster, with both teams leading at one point of time. However, an extra time winner by Cleiton Silva proved to be the difference maker as East Bengal ended their trophy drought of 12 years.
Indian Super League
Although East Bengal have been immaculate in knockout competitions this season, they have failed to replicate that form in the Indian Super League. The Red & Gold brigade sit at the 8th spot of the ISL table currently, with 11 points, winning only two games out of the 10 matches they have played till now. Out of those two wins, their most convincing win came against North East United FC 5-0. Their other win came against Hyderabad FC, winning 2-1 in September.
