Kolkata, July 25 : East Bengal FC will cross swords with town rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their next Calcutta Football League Premier Division Group A encounter at the Kalyani Stadium on Saturday.

This will be the first meeting between the two sides in top-level competitive football at the said venue.

The Red & Gold Brigade have had a mixed start to their CFL 2025 campaign. After cruising to a 7-1 win over Measurers Club in their opening match, EEB have gone winless in their next three matches, recording a 1-1 draw against Suruchi Sangha, a 2-2 draw against Calcutta Customs and a 0-1 defeat to Patha Chakra. They currently stand eighth in Group A with 5 points from 4 matches.

After losing their opening match 0-1 to Police AC, MBSG won two successive matches against Kalighat SLA (4-0) and Railway FC (2-0) respectively. They were held to a goalless draw by George Telegraph in their next outing before registering a 2-1 win over Kalighat MS in their latest fixture. They currently stand third in Group A with 10 points from 5 matches.

EEB defeated MBSG 2-1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan the last time these two rivals faced each other in the CFL (on 13 July 2024).

Speaking to the media on the eve of Saturday's Kolkata derby, Coach Bino George said, 'The derby is of the utmost importance for both teams. The break has helped our players recover and prepare rigorously for the big game. You can never pick a favorite for such contests. We are determined to return to winning ways."

/IANS