Durand Cup 2025: East Bengal, Diamond Harbor advance to semis

East Bengal and Diamond Harbor won their respective quarter-final matches at the 2025 Durand Cup on Sunday to set up semi-final clashes against each other.

East Bengal prevailed 2-1 over Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a thrilling clash at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, courtesy a brace of goals by Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos.

Anirudh Thapa pulled one back for Bagan, but it was not enough to stop the 16-time Durand winners from making yet another semi-final of Asia’s oldest football tournament.

It did not look all that rosy in the beginning, when in-form Moroccan striker Hamid Ahadad, had to leave the field at the quarter-hour mark for the Red and Golds, after suffering an injury. However, Diamantakos, who replaced him, more than made up for the setback.

The two gaffers began the game with different strategies with Bagan’s Jose Molina deploying a traditional 4-4-2, while compatriot Oscar Bruzon of East Bengal went in with five in midfield, leaving Ahdad as the lone ranger upfront.

Both teams matched almost perfectly, lining up some of the best Indian footballers of the present times as well as five foreigners each in their roster.

East Bengal had the better of exchanges when the first water break was taken at the half hour mark.

Before it, a Miguel free-kick from just outside the Bagan box flew over the bar, while just after it, a through from Naorem Mahesh Singh saw Diamantakos ruled offside, after he had put the ball in the net.

East Bengal’s persistence paid off when Bipin Singh was brought down inside the box minutes later and the referee pointed to the spot.

Diamantakos made no mistake putting it past a diving Vishal Kaith, who guessed right, but could not beat the placement.

A stung Bagan tried to equalise but the nearest they came was when an Apuia strike in injury time went just wide of Prabhsukhan’s outstretched dive and his right post.

Molina brought in Australian Jason Cummings in the second half in place of Pasang Dorjee Tamang, in an effort to get the equaliser. However it was Diamantakos who got his second instead, after a well-constructed move.

It was Lalchungnunga, who played the ball cross field from his half to Edmund, who tapped it back on the volley to Miguel.

The Brazilian playmaker received the ball in the middle of the Bagan half, changed track to take out one defender and found Mahesh with a forward ball.

The Manipuri threaded a pass forward to Diamantakos lurking inside, who controlled and took a touch forward, before pulling the trigger with his left on the half-turn. The ball took a deflection off Spanish defender Alberto’s legs and went in.

Kevin Sibille, East Bengal’s Italian centre-back, then brought up a crucial goal line save minutes later, off a Jamie Maclaren attempt from close range, to deny Bagan an opening.

After a sustained spell of Bagan pressure, Liston found the diminutive Thapa unmarked and in space, just outside the Bagan box, from a corner.

The Dehradun lad, curled a right footer and it went in through a maze of traffic in front of Prabhsukhan’s goal. It was a one-goal game with 20 minutes left to play.

Molina then made a triple change in the 70th minute. Dimitrios Petratos, Dippendu Biswas and Deepak Tangri were brought in, in place of British defender Thomas Aldred, Sahal Abdul Samad and Thapa respectively.

Bruzon responded with Souvik Chakrabarti, P.V. Vishnu and David Hmar in place of Mahesh, Bipin and Edmund. Molina then also played his final card in bringing in striker Suhail Bhat in place of defender Ashish Rai with less than 10 mins of regulation time left.

Despite Bagan going all out and getting a few clear chances, East Bengal held on for a memorable win.

Diamond Harbor upset Jamshedpur FC

Diamond Harbour FC delivered one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, defeating Jamshedpur FC 2–0 to storm into the semi-finals.

Inspired by a brilliant first-half brace from Ruatkima and backed by an outstanding defensive performance, the debutants from Bengal outclassed their ISL opponents, leaving the home side and their fans shell-shocked.

While JFC dominated possession and threw everything forward in the second half, Diamond Harbour’s composure, discipline, and counter-attacking threat saw them hold on for a famous victory.

The quarter-final showdown saw Diamond Harbour FC take a stunning early lead, rattling the confident home side, Jamshedpur FC. Just three minutes in, Ruatkima capitalised on a set-piece. A long throw unsettled JFC’s defence and the defender was left unmarked to slide home the opener.

Diamond Harbour continued to dominate the tempo. A flowing move that involved Luka Majcen and Jobby Justin culminated in Paul unleashing a powerful long-range effort, though it lacked accuracy and failed to trouble Jamshedpur’s keeper Amrit Gope.

As JFC struggled to find cohesion in midfield, chances began to dry up.

The home side tried to respond as Rei’s intricate run allowed him to whip in a teasing cross picked out by Praful, but his shot drifted harmlessly over the bar.

Soon after, Jayesh Rane surged forward from 25 yards and let fly, but his effort narrowly missed, epitomising Jamshedpur’s frustrations in front of goal.

At around the 40th minute, Ruatkima struck again on the counter. Samuel lofted a cross from the right flank, it deflected into Ruatkima’s path, and he volleyed it clinically into the net doubling Diamond Harbour’s advantage and silencing the home crowd.

At the half time, Diamond Harbour looked unstoppable. Their fluid interplay, particularly through Jobby Justin and Hali Charan Narzary, posed a persistent threat, although Jobby’s heavier touch denied them a further goal.

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur, under interim coach Steven Dias, looked shell-shocked despite firm belief and home advantage, they lacked sharpness in the final third.

Trailing 0-2 after Ruatkima’s first-half brace, Jamshedpur FC flew out of the blocks after the restart and piled on sustained pressure, but Diamond Harbour FC’s shape held.

VP Suhair teed up Sarthak Golui, whose floated delivery flashed through the six-yard area with no takers as the hosts signalled intent early in the half.

Sanan repeatedly attacked down the left, driving to the byline and whipping crosses that were turned away as DHFC’s back line refused to budge.

From deeper, Nishu Kumar stepped inside two challenges and tried his luck from range, but the effort drifted away without forcing a full stretch.

The clearest opening came when Sanan cut inside and drilled low; goalkeeper Mirshad got down sharply to parry, then sprang up to palm away Suhair’s volleyed follow-up in a superb double save that preserved the two-goal cushion.

In the end, Diamond Harbour FC scripted one of the standout results of the Durand Cup so far, holding their ground with remarkable discipline to seal a famous 2–0 win over Jamshedpur FC and book their place in the semifinals.

Built on Ruatkima’s first-half brace and sustained by a heroic defensive effort the underdogs frustrated JFC’s frontline at every turn. Every counterattack, often sparked by the tireless Luka Majcen, Jobby Justin, and Hali Charan Narzary, kept the ISL side wary, ensuring the momentum never swung completely.

For a team making their Durand Cup debut, DHFC’s victory was not only a tactical triumph but also a statement of intent, as they silenced the home crowd in Jamshedpur and announced themselves as genuine contenders in the competition.