East Bengal FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant will open the 135th Durand Cup with the Kolkata Derby at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, a fixture steeped in history as Asia’s oldest football tournament. Mohun Bagan arrives as the most decorated club with 17 Durand Cup titles, while East Bengal trails by one trophy, 16, making every derby a potential turning point. The 2023 final, in which Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0, is cited as the moment the record holders solidified their advantage. Both teams enter with recent momentum: East Bengal are defending ISL champions who ended a long wait for a national league crown, and Mohun Bagan have strengthened under new coach Panagiotis Dilmperis with key signings including Miguel Figueira Damasceno and Dejan Drazic, while East Bengal appointed Antonio Lopez Habas. The match is expected to set the tone for a season-long battle between two clubs who now compete not only with each other but with the rising expectations of a club-football heavy Indian calendar, with a kickoff around 17:00 IST.