The great Calcutta derby lived up to its billing.

More than 62,000 fans roared at the packed Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Many more were glued to their screens across the city.

The ISL match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant ended in a 1-1 draw. But it was a night of twists and turns, and nerves were taut throughout.

The build-up began hours before kick-off. The noise level kept going up.

By 6pm, long queues had formed outside gate number 5 with fans arriving in mini-trucks, cars and bikes.

Fans draped in green-and-maroon gathered near the gates, waving Bagan flags and chanting the name of their Aussie striker Jamie Maclaren.

The red-and-gold top draw was Miguel Figueira, the Brazilian playmaker.

Sadhan Das, 42, who came from Madhyamgram with his family to support Mohun Bagan, said attending the derby had become a tradition.

“When I was in my twenties, my father used to bring me here. Now it is my turn to bring my children. They especially wanted to watch Jamie Maclaren,” said Das, a trader, who came with an 11-year-old son, 15-year-old daughter and wife. All of them were in green and maroon.

A 35-member East Bengal supporters’ contingent from Serampore arrived in three mini-trucks carrying flags and beating drums.

“Watching the derby together is an emotion,” said Debolena Debnath, 35, a homemaker who came with the group.

“Most of our members travel out of the state wherever East Bengal is playing. We could never miss a do-or-die Derby here,” she said.

A lot was at stake, with the winners coming close to clinching the ISL trophy. The title race now goes down to the final match, with both teams still having one game each remaining.

Susanta Sarkar, 66, who arrived from Beleghata with his 23-year-old son, said the derby was about collective effort rather than individual stars. “This is not a one-sided player’s game. Football is about the whole team,” Sarkar said while waiting outside gate number 5.

This was the first derby after the regime change in Bengal. Bengal sports minister Nisith Pramanik and All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey were in the VIP gallery.

Before the match began, a minute’s silence was observed for Swapan Sadhan (Tutu) Bose, former president of Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who passed away on May 12. The veteran club administrator’s picture appeared on the giant screen.

The entire stadium stood up.