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East Bengal beats Mohun Bagan in Kolkata Derby, sets up Durand Cup 2025 semifinal clash against Diamond Harbour
East Bengal came with a nice essay of attacking football to prevail over its traditional rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2-1 in the fourth quarterfinal of the Durand Cup 2025 tournament at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
East Bengal will now take on the newcomer Diamond Harbour FC, which surprised Jamshedpur FC in the third quarterfinal held earlier in the day, in the second semifinal at the same venue on Wednesday.
East Bengal went ahead in the 38th minute when Dimitrios Diamantakos, who came on as a 17th minute substitute for an injured Hamid Ahadad, converted a penalty to keep his side ahead in the first half. The Greek forward scored again soon after the break to double East Bengal's lead in the 52nd minute.
AS IT HAPPENED | Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal highlights
Mohun Bagan pulled one back through Anirudh Thapa in the 68th minute but that was not enough to stop East Bengal from securing the well-deserved win.
Making a departure from its recent performances East Bengal showed a sprightly approach putting the Indian Super League double title winner Mohun Bagan under pressure right from the start.
Bringing in a host of new faces in the side this season, East Bengal showed a remarkable transformation and mounted repeated attacks to put Mohun Bagan's defence under pressure for a protracted period. The Red and Gold Brigade's dominance was sparked by its attacking efficiency that was highlighted by the effective combination of its Brazilian play-maker Miguel Ferreira with wingers Bipin Singh and Naorem Mahesh Singh.
And with Diamantakos showing a great sharpness in the box it was only a matter of time before East Bengal picked up the lead.
Mohun Bagan came back briefly in the game and reduced the margin with a nice goal from Anurudh Thapa in the 68th minute but the goal seemed to have come a bit too late as East Bengal sealed up its defence to preserve the lead till the end. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media
Diamantakos struck the target from the spot after Bipin was brought down inside the box by Mohun Bagan's Asish Rai and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Before Mohun Bagan could regroup to find an equaliser, East Bengal doubled the lead to gain the psychological edge in the 52nd minute.
Diamantakos picked up an assist from Mahesh and finished it with a sharp turn as the stands erupted in wild celebration expecting a long deserved win.
Mohun Bagan came back briefly in the game and reduced the margin with a nice goal from Anurudh Thapa in the 68th minute but the goal seemed to have come a bit too late as East Bengal sealed up its defence to preserve the lead till the end.
