East Bengal vs Mohun Bagan had so far been one-way traffic in the Indian Super League (ISL). Ten matches, nine wins, a draw for Bagan – its fans dominated the cheers and led the narrative. But the stakes remained starkly different this time.

The top two teams in the ISL went neck-to-neck in the contest, and late fireworks by Edmund Lalrindika and Jason Cummings ensured the rivals shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday.

The draw ensured East Bengal stayed on the top of the standings, owing to its higher goal difference, and forced the title-winning round to the final matchday on May 21.

AS IT HAPPENED | Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Highlights

Bagan started the match aggressively, with its front four — Sahal Abdul Samad, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco and Jamie Maclaren – hovering around the box as the club dominated possession in the first five minutes.

On the other hand, East Bengal soaked in the press, with up to six players in defence when out of possession, and got results – denying three clear chances in the first 10 minutes. Bagan’s high line was exposed when Prabhsukhan Gill took an Alisson-esque kick, aiming for Vishnu.

The southern and eastern ends of the stadium, comprising East Bengal fans, looked to have found a new life as the decibel scales shifted. But Vishnu’s delay in pulling the trigger saw Vishal Kaith put the chance to bed with the ball safely in his gloves.

Kaith, however, was beaten seven minutes later when Anton Sojberg won the ball off Alberto Rodriguez and took a left-footed hit. Time stopped for East Bengal fans as the ball went past the Bagan goalie’s gloves, but their hands went to the back of their heads as the ball rattled the woodwork. The moment repeated itself eight minutes later, this time Bipin Singh delaying a pass to Sojberg. The frustrations in the stands only got louder.

For Bagan, Anirudh Thapa almost scored in the 24th minute, shooting on target with a half-volley but Gill met it with equal quality to ensure the scoreboard did not tick.

After a scoreless opening period, Bagan’s coach Sergio Lobera chose to go all guns blazing in the final quarter of the match, bringing on Jason Cummings, Robson Robinho and Dimitrios Petratos. That forced him to replace a foreign defender due to the league’s rules, which saw Mehtab Singh, one of Bagan’s weaklings at the back, take the pitch.

With six minutes left, that change bit Bagan at the back as Edmund, getting a pass from Miguel Figueira, beat Mehtab and then Kaith to cause delirium in the East Bengal stands. Coach Oscar Bruzon punched the air, bumped up the fans like Jurgen Klopp, while the forward removed his shirt, put it on a corner flag and planted it on the hallowed turf as a sign of victory.

However, Bagan did not go down meekly.

Five minutes later, Cummings’ header from a corner rattled the net to spark celebrations at the other end, leaving the fans in red-and-gold staring in disbelief.

Maclaren could have sealed the match for Bagan in second-half stoppage time, but a crucial save by Gill ensured nothing could separate the two teams after 90-plus minutes of quality football.

A win here would have nearly sealed the title for East Bengal and their supporters. The draw meant they have to wait a round more.

While the derby rivals are level on points, East Bengal will win the title if it can win its final match against Inter Kashi since it boasts a +5 goal difference over Bagan. For Bagan, it will need a favour from Inter Kashi when it takes on East Bengal in the final match day or rack up the goals while beating Sporting Club Delhi to pip East Bengal to the title.

A draw for both teams could see Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC determine the title-winner.

Published on May 17, 2026