I League 2018/19: 3 reasons why Mohun Bagan lost to East Bengal

#2 Eze Kingsley's send-off

Kingsley being shown the yellow card

Mohun Bagan’s skipper Eze Kingsley has been around the Indian football circuit for quite some time and is quite an experienced player. He was named as the captain of Mohun Bagan prior to the season. It was expected of him to act responsibly, especially in a high voltage clash like the ‘Kolkata Derby.’

The Nigerian defender was booked with a yellow in the 12th minute. It was a needless challenge on the opposite player, but it was foolish to concede. Following which it was obvious that he should be cautious before committing a tackle for the rest of the 78 minutes!

With 1-2 down on the scoresheet and 30 minutes left of regulation time left, he was guilty of another tackle near to the corner spot. It could have been avoided or handled more effectively.

The referee was not shy to slip his hands into his pocket and take out the red card. Mohun Bagan was reduced to 10 men with 1/3rd of the game left to play, it was a turning point in the context of the game. Mohun Bagan conceded the third goal just after he marched off the playing area.

A careless few moments from a player can change of the fate of the game to a large extent. Sunday's fixture was a perfect example of that case. Down with 10 men and trailing by 2 goals, Bagan was handicapped for the rest of the match. Although the ‘Mariners’ pressed hard, East Bengal managed to hold on to the lead.