East Bengal turned the Kolkata derby into a one-sided spectacle on Sunday (August 23), sweeping aside Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 to win the Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. The triumph saw East Bengal draw level with their arch-rivals on a record 17 titles in the competition.
The final generated huge online attention as well, with interest in the match jumping more than 1,000% on Google Trends. Search volume had crossed 50,000 at the time of writing.
The decisive spell came before half-time, with East Bengal finding the net four times in an extraordinary 45 minutes. Edmund Lalrindika spearheaded the attack with a hat-trick, while Bipin Singh added another goal. Manvir Singh scored for Mohun Bagan, but his effort did little to alter the course of the final.
Mohun Bagan started with plenty of intent and enjoyed a greater share of possession, but East Bengal made considerably better use of their chances. The Mariners’ attacking pressure counted for little as their opponents repeatedly found gaps and punished defensive lapses.
Bipin Singh opened the scoring in the 10th minute after Mohammed Rashid supplied the opportunity. East Bengal needed only two more minutes to extend their advantage, with Lalrindika finishing to make it 2-0.
The forward was at the heart of an astonishing period of dominance. Operating as the lone striker instead of Jesin TK, Lalrindika struck again in the 22nd minute to put East Bengal three goals ahead before the match had even settled.
Mohun Bagan eventually found a way through in the 33rd minute. Manvir Singh reduced the deficit and gave the Mariners a brief opening to revive their hopes of overturning the result.
That possibility disappeared just before the interval.
Lalrindika completed his hat-trick in the 44th minute, with Rashid again contributing to the move. East Bengal went into the break 4-1 ahead, leaving Mohun Bagan with a mountain to climb.
The Mariners controlled much of the second half but could not translate that possession into enough clear-cut chances. East Bengal’s defensive organisation held firm, while their willingness to break quickly kept Mohun Bagan from committing too many players forward.
With the game already effectively decided, East Bengal managed the remainder of the contest without allowing their advantage to come under serious threat.
The victory also gave East Bengal an opportunity to rewrite the ending of a painful recent chapter. Mohun Bagan had beaten them 1-0 in the 2023 Durand Cup final to claim their 17th crown.
This time, East Bengal had the final say.