Back in the day, the result of a Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant (erstwhile Mohun Bagan) and East Bengal decided the fate of the Calcutta Football League more often than not. The footballing fortunes have now changed with the emergence of Indian Super League (ISL) beyond recognition – but the clash on Sunday, for the first time in this elite competition, seems like a throwback to those days.

Call it the Super Sunday for Indian football if you like as the Big Two, two of Asia’s oldest extant clubs are toe-to-toe in occupying the top two spots in the table with Mumbai City third on goal-difference with all three on equal points (22) in this truncated edition of the league. The fans of red-and-golden brigade have, in particular, reasons to be upbeat as it’s been a long wait for them which has seen the club finishing in the lower lungs of ISL several times.

What’s more, East Bengal could never replicate their success rate against their traditional rivals in ISL– failing to win a single of their 10 meetings in this league with a 2-2 draw in 2023-24 being the only time they have got a point. The uncertainty over sponsors, management woes have seen them building the team from scratch on at least three occasions but the current lot under coach astute coach Oscar Bruzon looks to be made of sterner stuff who can challenge the defending champions.  

A remarkable aspect of ISL 2026, which looked a non-starter even till last January with no commercial partners in sight, is that as many as seven teams can theoretically the crown – as in till Friday. Full points on Sunday for either East Bengal or the defending champions MBSG will eliminate Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa. Either of Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC can, meanwhile, finish on 25 points which is also where the winners of the derby can end if they lose their last match.

With head-to-head record being the first tie-breaker in case of equal points, East Bengal would want to be level on points with Mumbai City FC. For Mohun Bagan, who have lost to Mumbai, Punjab FC would be the team they would want to be on same points to decide the season’s champions. However, neither Punjab nor Mumbai FC would be in the hunt if the Kolkata clubs get four points from the remaining two rounds.

If Mohun Bagan and East Bengal end on 26 points and Sunday’s derby ends in a draw, goal difference will be considered to decide on the winners. East Bengal, as things stand, have a comfortable plus-five lead there.

‘’It would be an apt tribute to Tutu da (Swapan Sadhan Bose) if we can win the big game on Sunday and ensure back-to-back titles,’’ remarked Subhasis Bose, Mohun Bagan skipper and leader of defence in a media interview. The former Mohun Bagan president, a larger-than-life figure in Kolkata maidan who has held different positions in the maroon-and-green camp, passed away at 79 on Tuesday.    

East Bengal coach Bruzon, however, insisted his side are embracing the occasion with belief rather than pressure while also acknowledging the expectations surrounding the defending champions. ''We don't take it as a responsibility. Probably, Mohun Bagan will have more tension because they need to defend the title. But we are having a dream. And when you have a dream, you can move mountains,” the Spaniard added.

Catch the match

Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs East Bengal

Venue: Salt Lake Stadium

Kick-off: 7.30 pm

The Blue Tigers will have to vie for the third place in the four-nation Unity Cup in London after they suffered a 2-0 loss to a higher ranked Jamaica in the semi-finals at The Valley on Wednesday. They will take on Zimbabwe, who lost the other semi-final to Nigeria, for a podium finish on 30 May (Saturday) at 7 pm IST.  

 Ranked 136 in the world, India started as underdogs against the Caribbeans – who fielded an young team here but were still strong enough to win the day. Courtney Clarke’s stunning early strike in the eighth minute and Kaheim Dixon’s solo effort in the 78th minute ensured the Reggae Boyz marched into the final.

 Khalid Jamil’s men, who were playing their first match on British soil since 2002, could hardly settle into rhythm as Jamaica struck early. A quick Jamaican counter sliced through India’s shape in the eighth minute, forcing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu into a sharp save from a tight angle. The danger was far from over as India failed to clear their lines and Clarke intercepted a loose pass before scoring in emphatic fashion. He shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a breathtaking strike into the top-right corner beyond Sandhu’s desperate dive.

 Jamaica, placed 71st in the FIFA rankings, continued to attack, stretching the Indian defence through the wings and exploiting spaces with alarming ease. Dixon nearly doubled the advantage in the 17th minute when he burst through on goal, but Sandhu stood tall and made a brave stop to keep India alive.

The Blue Tigers nearly found a lifeline in the 53rd minute after a mistake from the Jamaican defence and goalkeeper. Roshan seized upon a loose ball and played Rahim Ali through on goal after the striker had replaced Lalrindika at half-time. However, Ali had strayed offside, so Chhangte's follow-up finish into the empty net did not count.

The chance, though, transformed the momentum of the match. Jamil’s men tried to make a match of it in the second half, pushing higher up the pitch and probing the Jamaican defence with far greater intent. The Blue Tigers finally began asking questions, forcing Jamaica onto the backfoot during their best spell of the contest.

However, Dixon produced a moment of magic that put paid to all their hopes. The Charlton Athletic winger, playing at his home stadium, collected the ball near the edge of the area in the 78th minute and worked past the defenders. He then created space before drilling a low shot through Akash Mishra’s legs and into the far bottom corner beyond Sandhu. 

When Carlos Ancelotti embarked on his maiden World Cup journey in the US, a reel where his two adorable grandchildren wish him on his toughest assignment yet had gone quite viral. At 67 years and after having won almost everything that club football can offer as a coach, it would have been befitting for ‘Don Carlo,’ as he is often referred to, to enjoy the perks of a well-earned retired life of great opulence.

However, the tough-as-nails Italian decided to accept a challenge in May 2025 which many of his ilk wouldn’t dare – that of becoming the first-ever foreigner coach to guide the Selecao boys’ fortunes in the World Cup. All their five World Cup winning managers so far have been Brazilians: Vincent Fiola (1958), Aymore Moreira (1962), Mario Zagallo (1970), Carlos Alberto Parreira (1994) and Luiz Felipe Scolari (2002) and it’s going to be a daunting task for Ancelotti to aim for the Hexa with an undercooked team.

‘’It’s a ​new experience, but ⁠obviously a special one,’’ Ancelotti said at a choc-a-bloc first media conference in New Jersey on Friday. ‘’It means having the responsibility and the honour of representing the home of football, the most successful national team in the world. Two things: responsibility and honour.’’

Ancelotti said he wanted to ⁠embrace ​the occasion rather than be swallowed by it. ‘’I want to savour ​this moment with joy and happiness because it is a wonderful moment in my story,’’ he said. ‘’I feel great... I hope ​I can do the work needed to help this team succeed.’’

No wonder, he is easily the most talked about and charismatic manager among the 48 in fray – despite being a newcomer as far as coaching national teams is concerned. The past one year hasn’t really produced a magical transformation in the performance of the Samba Boys, who qualified as the fifth team from the South American zone and would have had to suffer the ignominy of featuring in play-offs for a ticket to the US but for an increase in quotas for all continents. This has, however, not deterred him from putting up a brave face as they launch their campaign against Morocco – the surprise semi-finalists of Qatar 2022 – in the wee hours of Sunday (3.30 am IST).

The canny customer he is, Ancelotti attempted to diffuse the pressure on his boys when he said there would be nothing wrong in case of any signs of nerves. ‘’Fear is an important part of life,’’ said the man with five UEFA Champions League titles lined up on his shelves alongwith all five league titles of Europe. While five Champions Leagues came as a coach, he had won two European Cups in a player’s capacity as well for AC Milan in 1989 and ’90 – leaving aside multiple World Club Cups and Super Cups as a coach.

The fear which Ancelotti talks about is not the psychosis, but the tactical alertness as the first match of a major tournament like the World Cup will always be difficult. The expectations of the Brazilian people, who comprise of nearly one seventh of the global population, of their national football team is scary as they want their team to win every match they play. Any defensive thinking is perceived as negative tactics and an anti-thesis of the beautiful game – or jogo bonito - that King Pele had once espoused.

However, the demands of the modern game call for a more pragmatic approach – and who better than Ancelotti to deploy it in the middle against a Morocco side – comprising of several proven customers in European leagues. Ancelotti has already taken a calculated gamble by naming the 34-year-old Neymar in his final squad despite the mercurial forward still recovering from a severe calf strain. ‘’We called him up not only for his football ability, which is indisputable, but also for the experience and example he can give to the younger players in the group.’’

He will not be available for the Morocco game but according to the coach, Neymar will start training next week. The enigmatic Vinicius junior is hence expected to play the leader alongside the likes of Raphinha, Marquinhos and Casemiro. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!