Dimitrios Petratos and Jason Cummings shone as Mohun Bagan Super Giant beat United Sports Club 2-0 in their IFA Shield group stage match at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Wednesday.
The result confirmed Bagan’s spot in the 41st IFA Shield final, where it will face arch-rival East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 18.
Bagan had four key Indian first-team regulars unavailable, with Manvir Singh out due to injury, while captain Subhasish Bose, Lalengmawia Ralte, and Liston Colaco were with the national team for the AFC Asian Cup third-round qualifier against Singapore on October 14.
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It gave Jose Molina options to check his squad depth, and his boys did not disappoint with a goal in each half.
Petratos opened the scoring in the last minute of first-half regulation time, steering Cummings’s cross from the left into the net.
After the restart, Cummings almost got his name on the scoresheet with a shot on the colley, which, initially saved by United’s goalkeeper Subrata Santra, rolled into the net, doubling Bagan’s lead.
United’s best chance in goal came in the 66th minute when Sreenath M — getting a lofted pass in the box — chested the ball and shot on the volley on target. Bagan’s keeper, Syed Zahid Hussain Bukhari, met the attempt with equal quality, stopping a certain goal.
Bagan, which scripted history by winning the IFA Shield in 1911 — it became the first native side in British India to lift the trophy — is the second-most successful side in the tournament, with 20 titles in its cabinet.
However, its last IFA Shield title came 22 years ago, when it beat East Bengal 5-4 in penalties. Its previous final was also against East Bengal in 2018, one that it lost on spot kicks.
The 2025-26 season has had two Kolkata derbies so far, with East Bengal winning both of them, in the Calcutta Football League and the Durand Cup. Bagan will now look to settle scores on Saturday.
Match result
Published on Oct 15, 2025
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