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Mohun Bagan advances to IFA Shield 2025 Final:
In the final match of Group B in the IFA Shield, Mohun Bagan triumphed over United Sports Club with a score of 2-0, securing their place in the final. East Bengal has already secured their spot in the final by finishing as the group champion of Group A. Consequently, the highly anticipated derby match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will take place in the final. During this match, a portion of Mohun Bagan’s supporters expressed their discontent with the management in the stands for not participating in the game in Iran.
This match held significant importance for both Mohun Bagan and United Sports Club in their quest to reach the final. Before the match, both teams had equal points, but Mohun Bagan held an advantage over United Sports Club due to goal difference. Thus, a draw was sufficient for Mohun Bagan to qualify for the final, while United Sports Club needed a victory to advance.
The starting lineup for Mohun Bagan against United Sports Club included: Goalkeeper – Syed Zahid, Defenders – Asish Rai, Tom Aldred, Mehtab Singh, and Abhishek Singh, Defensive Midfielders: Thumsol Tongsin and Abhishek Suryavanshi, Attacking Midfielders: Kiyan Nassiri, Robson Robinho, and Dimitri Petratos, and Forward – Jason Cummings. Notably, Dimitri Petratos made his return to Mohun Bagan’s starting XI after a considerable absence.
First-half highlights:
In the first half, Mohun Bagan dominated possession, yet they failed to generate any scoring opportunities. In the 27th minute, Kiyan Nassiri squandered a significant chance. Dimitri Petratos made a run into the box and delivered a pass to Kiyan Nassiri, but unfortunately, Kiyan Nassiri was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
In the 28th minute of the match, United Sports Club launched an attack against the run of play, but Sujal Munda’s long-range shot sailed over the bar.
Towards the end of the first half of regular time, Dimitri Petratos found the back of the net. Mohun Bagan was awarded the first free-kick. Although United Sports Club goalkeeper Subrata Santra initially saved Dimitri Petratos’ free-kick, the ball rebounded to Mohun Bagan’s Jason Cummings and Robson Robinho. Robson Robinho then passed to Jason Cummings, who delivered a low cross, allowing Dimitri Petratos to score past Subrata Santra, sending the ball into the net.
Despite Mohun Bagan having greater ball possession in the first half, their defense, particularly Mehtab Singh, made several errors. As the first half concluded, the score stood at Mohun Bagan 1, United Sports Club 0.
Second-half highlights:
At the beginning of the second half, Mohun Bagan’s coach, Jose Molina, substituted Alberto Rodriguez for Tom Aldred. Four minutes into the second half, Mohun Bagan netted their second goal of the match. Jason Cummings received the ball from a free-kick from Robson Robinho. Although United Sports Club’s goalkeeper, Subrata Santra, initially saved Cummings’ shot, the ball ultimately crossed the goal line, giving Mohun Bagan a 2-0 advantage.
Following this, United Sports Club launched several attacks, but the Mohun Bagan defense remained vigilant and posed no threat. In the 60th minute, the Mohun Bagan coach made three substitutions, bringing in Jamie Maclaren, Suhail Bhat, and Dipendu Biswas to replace Jason Cummings, Kiyan Nassiri, and Mehtab Singh. All six foreign players of Mohun Bagan participated in this match.
Even with a 2-0 lead, Mohun Bagan continued to press for more goals. In the 72nd minute, another substitution was made by the coach, with Anirudh Thapa coming on for Thumsol Tongsin. In the 84th minute, Jamie Maclaren found the net for Mohun Bagan, but the linesman flagged the goal for offside, resulting in its disallowance. During the second half, Robson Robinho’s attempt from outside the box was saved by Subrata Santra of United Sports Club.
Ultimately, despite not showcasing particularly impressive football in this match, Mohun Bagan triumphed over United Sports Club with a score of 2-0, while United Sports Club put up a strong fight despite their limited resources. Mohun Bagan emerged as the group champion in Group B with 6 points from 2 matches, while United Sports Club secured second place in the group with 3 points from 2 matches. Gokulam Kerala finished at the bottom of the group with no points from 2 matches.
Derby in the final:
Previously, East Bengal secured their place in the final by topping Group A with 6 points from 2 matches.
As a result, the eagerly awaited derby between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will take place in the final of the IFA Shield on October 18, 2025. Will East Bengal claim the IFA Shield for the thirtieth time, or will Mohun Bagan achieve their twenty-first victory in the IFA Shield? TWe will have to wait until October 18, 2025 to get this answer.
I have uploaded a video on YouTube in Bengali related to the topic discussed in this blog, and you can find the link to that video here: