I-League: Mohun Bagan continue winning run

Kolkata: A day after ATK registered a victory over FC Goa, their newly merged partner Mohun Bagan made it a happy marriage with their 2-1 win over arch-rivals East Bengal in the I-League's first Kolkata derby this season at a packed Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday.

Mohun Bagan's in-form Spanish midfielder Joseba Beitia gave the home team the lead in the 18th minute as the Mariners went into the break 1-0 up.

Babacar Diawara doubled Mohun Bagan's tally in the 65th minute but Marc Jimenez pulled one back for East Bengal in the 71st minute to make it a nerve-wracking affair in the final few minutes with Mohun Bagan holding fort in the end. The victory saw Mohun Bagan extend their lead at the top while East Bengal remained in the sixth position.

On Thursday, ATK acquired a majority stake in Mohun Bagan and the green and the maroon side will join hands with ATK to play in the ISL from next season.

The RPSG Group, which owns and runs two-time ISL champions ATK, became an 80 percent majority shareholder with Mohun Bagan owning the remaining 20 percent shares. The merged club will come into existence from June 1, 2020, and will compete in the ISL 2020-21, along with other important competitions in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) calendar. IANS

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