I-League 2018-19: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal- 5 Talking Points

East Bengal defeated Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the second I-League Kolkata Derby to keep their title hopes alive. Joby Justin and Jaime Santos Colado's goals were enough to send the Red and Gold fans in euphoria and Green and Maroon fans in despair.

However, this win doesn't change East Bengal's fourth position in the points table as they are still behind Real Kashmir on goal difference. Mohun Bagan, on the other hand, remain on the sixth spot with 21 points from 14 matches.

Khalid Jamil made two changes to the Mohun Bagan side that defeated NEROCA 1-0. Yuta Kinowaki and Azharuddin Mallick sat on the bench as Pintu Mohata and Henry Kisekka found their name in the starting lineup.

East Bengal's Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez, on the other hand, was forced to take out Manoj Mohammed owing to suspension. Lalrindika Ralte, who was given the captain's armband, returned in the playing eleven.

The game was a topsy-turvy encounter with the 62,629 fans on the edge of their seat, cheering for their respective teams. On that note let us take a look at the five talking points from today's game.

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#5 Cautious approach in the opening thirty minutes of the game

The vibrant East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans had to watch the game patiently for the first thirty minutes

If the second half and the last fifteen minutes of the game was filled with high-octave drama and thrilling action, both the teams took a cautious approach in the opening thirty minutes of the game.

There were only two shots on target in the aforementioned time period, both of which were straight to the goalkeeper. It was wise for both the sides to read the game and learn the opponents' tactics, so that they could exploit them as the match grew.

The cautious approach in the first thirty minutes favored East Bengal as they outclassed Mohun Bagan on every department in the later sixty minutes of the game. Unfortunately for the Mariners, they played into the Red and Gold Brigade's sleeves and came second-best.

#4 East Bengal defenders hold their line well

Marshalled by Borja Gomez Perez, the East Bengal defence was rock-solid against Mohun Bagan

Mohun Bagan took the direct approach in the game and lodged long balls to find strikers Dipanda Dicka and Henry Kisekka, bypassing the midfield completely. However, the East Bengal back-four, comprising of Borja Gomez Perez, Johnny Acosta, Lalramchullova, and Kamalpreet Singh, held their line well and found the Mohun Bagan strikers and wingers offside a total of nine times.

Their right back, Lalramchullova, denied Sony Norde any space whatsoever to showcase his trickery. Yes, he was brought down multiple times, But, if you look at it over and over again, you would realize that it was East Bengal's plan all the way along.

Kamalpreet Singh gave a brilliant account of himself in the left-back, a position where he was playing for the first time. Pintu Mohata was rendered completely ineffective in the first half and, his substitute SK Faiaz had to endure the same fate too.

Kasim Aidara nullified Mohun Bagan's efforts to exploit the space in front of the defenders as he won almost every second ball and read the strikers' movements. Overall, the East Bengal defense had done their homework and deserved to keep the clean sheet.

#3 Mohun Bagan missing Yuta Kinowaki's services in the midfield

Yuta Kinowaki suffered an injury just before the kickoff

Henry Kisekka replacing Yuta Kinowaki in the starting lineup was a last minute change as the Japanese suffered a strain in his calf muscle just before the match kicked-off. This put a massive dent in Mohun Bagan's plan as they lost the midfield battle completely.

Omar Elhusseiny had to play a withdrawn role to compensate for Yuta's absence but looked completely lacklustre. As a result, Sony Norde, Henry Kisekka, and Dipanda Dicka had to drop down deep to collect the ball in the midfield.

In his absence, East Bengal exploited the space in front of the defense with fluid passing in the attacking third. Yuta Kinowaki's absence exemplifies the fact that defensive midfielders are the unsung heroes of the game. Their importance in the game can be understood only if they miss out on a game.

#2 Referee decisions adjudged correctly in favor of East Bengal

As one can see, the ball clearly touches Darren Caldeira's hand before crossing the goal-line

Both the ISL and I-League referees have been criticized vehemently this season for their poor decision-making skills. However, under the gazing scrutiny of 62629 fans, referee Ramaswamy Ramakrishna and linesmen Kennedy Sapam and Antony Abraham did their job commendably well.

Coming to the disallowed goal, Eze Kingsley headed off Sony Norde's corner towards Darren Caldeira's path. The 31-year-old wasn't offside there but, he failed to keep his shot goalbound. Instead, he flicked it towards Dipanda Dicka who kept his calm and guided the shot on target. However, the ball touched Darren Caldeira's hand before rolling past the goal-line.

Sony Norde tried to win a foul inside the box in the later stages of the game. But, the referee was spot on to deny the penalty as the Haitian dived in front of Borja Gomez Perez, who had made no contact whatsoever.

#1 Joby Justin's magic reigns supreme

Joby Justin celebrates with fellow goalscorer Jaime Santos Colado after East Bengal won the Kolkata Derby

In high-octave matches like Kolkata Derby, it is the individual brilliance of certain players which separates the two sides. East Bengal did execute their game plan perfectly but, it was Joby Justin's predatory striking and dribbling skills which proved to be the difference.

The Keralite's ability to be at the right place at the right time even if surrounded by three players was visible in the seventh minute itself when he made space for himself to take a first-time shot. However, the Mohun Bagan defenders easily saw out his scuffed effort.

Coming to the first goal, he pressed Eze Kingsley hard and won the ball from him in the attacking third. Spotting Jaime Santos Colado's run from the blindside, he made no error in feeding the ball towards him, who in turn put it in the back of the net.

The second goal might have looked an easy one to score but, it was his finesse which made it so. Lalrindika Ralte inswung a deadly corner-kick but, three Mohun Bagan defenders had surrounded him. Joby Justin not only made space for himself but also glanced his header above the reach of the goalkeeper to score the insurance goal.

The fans criticized former national team coach Stephen Constantine's decision to omit him from the Asian Cup 2019 squad. On Sunday, Joby Justin proved his naysayers wrong once again.