Diamantakos's brace helps East Bengal beat Bagan, end two years of hurt
There will be sterner tests in the season, assuming there is a season, Diamond Harbour FC await in the semi-final, but those are thoughts reserved for another day. For now, it was all about joy and jubilation and it was provided by a man who didn't start.
There were great expectations on Dimitrios Dimantakos but all he could produce was four goals and one assist in 19 Indian Super League matches last term. Replacing the injured Hamid Ahadad in the 18th minute, the Greek striker compensated with goals in the 38th and 52nd minutes, the first from a penalty.
Anirudh Thapa pulled one back in the 68th with a grounder but for most of the night, Mohun Bagan had no answer to East Bengal's physicality and overall superiority. The last bit was encapsulated in the second goal which took a deflection off Alberto Rodriguez after Edmund Lalrindika and Mahesh Naorem combined to free the Greek.
Lalrindika tested Vishal Kaith, whose distribution was poor, early as did Naorem. The pressure told on Ashish Rai whose foul on Bipin Singh fetched the penalty. Mohun Bagan grew into the game after Thapa's goal but compact without the ball, East Bengal absorbed the pressure though it needed a goalline save from new central defender Kevin Sibille, who paired with Anwar Ali like they were old mates.
It was in the Durand Cup on August 12, 2023, five derbies earlier, that East Bengal had last beaten their arch-rivals in Kolkata. Since the last defeat here, against NorthEast United in the Durand Cup final on August 31, 2024, Mohun Bagan finished an ISL season without losing at home.
It needed East Bengal to show they are invincible no more.
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