East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan Combined Starting XI Ahead of Kolkata Derby in ISL 2024-25

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East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan Combined Starting XI: East Bengal will face Mohun Bagan in the first Kolkata derby of ISL 2024-25 on Saturday, October 19, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.

The much-anticipated match will see the rivals come in with contrasting fortunes in the league. Mohun Bagan, while far from their best which saw them end up as title winners last season, are in fourth position, with two wins in four matches.

On the other hand, East Bengal has had a disastrous start to the season, languishing at the bottom of the table with no points from four games. However, the Kolkata derby has a tendency to change the fortunes of its victor, and a win on Saturday will allow East Bengal or Mohun Bagan to push further up the ISL table in the early stages of the new season.

Given the fluctuating fortunes of these two teams, let’s have a look at which players made the cut in the Combined Playing XI between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan: See Full Combined Playing XI

Formation: 4-2-1-3

Forwards

LW: Manvir Singh (Mohun Bagan)

After starting the season on the bench, Manvir has slowly grown into the Mohun Bagan starting lineup. Despite his lack of output in front of the goal so far, Manvir has been crucial in implementing the high-pressing game that Jose Molina has tried to imbibe in the Mariners team.

However, his entry into the combined playing XI speaks less about his own talent and more about the lack of quality in the wings for East Bengal, with both Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar Sekar disappointing so far.

ST: Jamie Maclaren (Mohun Bagan)

Quite possibly one of the most talented players in the entire league, Jamie Maclaren is yet to hit the heights that saw him become a bonafide legend in the Australian A-League. His only goal since his return from injury came last week in the win against Mohammedan SC, but he walks into the combined playing XI as Cleiton Silva seems to have forgotten how to score this season.

RW: Greg Stewart (Mohun Bagan)

Another fine addition to the Mohun Bagan attacking lineup, Greg Stewart has been his club’s most potent attacking threat in the league so far, scoring one goal and assisting three more in his four outings. His goal contributions have been a major reason why Mohun Bagan are so high up the table despite their notoriously leaky defence.

Midfielders

CAM: Madih Talal (East Bengal)

French midfielder Madih Talal has been one of the bright spots in East Bengal’s disappointing league campaign so far. The new signing has scored one goal, but more importantly, he has attempted more passes in the opponent’s final third than any of his teammates. Talal’s creativity will be vital if East Bengal aim to unlock Mohun Bagan’s defence on Saturday.

LCM: Apuia Ralte (Mohun Bagan)

Apuia has been a standout performer for the Mariners in the middle of the park, dictating the play with an Andrea Pirlo-esque calm. His wide range of vision and ability to find pockets of space means that he starts in the combined playing XI over other Indian midfielders like Jeakson Singh and Anirudh Thapa.

RCM: Saul Crespo (East Bengal)

Saul is the perfect box-to-box midfielder for East Bengal, linking attack and defence with ease. His playing style is not like the other Spanish midfielders seen on Indian shores, as he prefers to run with the ball at his feet, focusing on wilful running more than subtlety or deftness. Saul will need to be alert on the attack and defence for the Red and Gold Brigade to get anything out of the derby match.

Defenders

LB: Subhashish Bose (Mohun Bagan)

Despite what his horror show against Vietnam on the international break might suggest, Subhashish has been brilliant down the left flank in the ISL so far. The club captain has scored two goals and assisted one more in four matches, tying as the second-highest goal scorer for Mohun Bagan in the ISL.

CB: Alberto Rodriguez (Mohun Bagan)

After an injury-hampered start to the ISL, Alberto Rodriguez has been an indispensable part of Mohun Bagan’s backline. Mohun Bagan are yet to lose any match with Alberto on the field, with their first clean sheet coming last week.

CB: Anwar Ali (East Bengal)

After being the reason for an ugly transfer battle between the two rivals, Anwar Ali will enter the pitch on Saturday with a point to prove against his old team. Anwar has formed a decent partnership with Hector Yuste at the back, and despite failing to stop his team from haemorrhaging goals in ISL, Anwar has been more than adequate in marking his man and winning aerial duels.

RB: Asish Rai (Mohun Bagan)

Asish Rai started the ISL season on the back of making his national team debut, and the 25-year-old has played every minute of league football for Mohun Bagan so far. His positioning sense has made him an asset in defensive situations, and while his attacking output needs to improve over the course of the season, Asish Rai will be crucial for Mohun Bagan to dominate the flanks on derby day.

Goalkeeper

GK: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan)

Despite letting in seven goals in the ISL, Vishal Kaith has come out of each match with his head held high. He has pulled in crunch saves to save his defender’s blushes more than once, with his save against Bengaluru FC’s Sivasakthi Narayanan in match week 3 coming to mind.