Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Emami East Bengal face off in the 2023 Durand Cup final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday, September 3.
FOLLOW THE DURAND CUP FINAL LIVE HERE: EAST BENGAL VS MOHUN BAGAN SUPER GIANT LIVE SCORE
The blockbuster match will be the second Kolkata derby of the season after the two sides clashed in the group stages on the tournament on 12 August.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant qualified for the final after a comeback 2-1 win over FC Goa in the semifinal. East Bengal on the other hand booked its place in the final with a tense penalty shootout win over NorthEast United in Kolkata after the match finished 2-2.
Let’s have a look at East Bengal’s road to the 2023 Durand Cup final to be held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, September 3.
Group Stage
East Bengal began its 2023 Durand Cup journey against Bangladesh Army on August 6. The first game did not go to plan as it was reduced to ten men after Nishu Kumar’s red card, surrendering a two goal lead in the final minutes to draw 2-2.
East Bengal FC player Nandha Kumar (11) celebrates after scoring a goal during the Durand Cup football match between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, Saturday, August 12, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI
In the second group game, the season’s first Kolkata derby, East Bengal ended a winless run against its arch-rivals, with Nandhakumar Sekar’s strike in the 60th minute proving the difference between the two sides.
A narrow win in the final group game against Punjab FC, thanks to a goal by Javier Siverio secured top spot in Group A for East Bengal.
Quarterfinal
East Bengal faced Group C toppers Gokulam Kerala FC in the 2023 Durand Cup quarterfinal at the VYBK in Kolkata. Australian defender Jordan Elsey put East Bengal in the lead within the first minute before Aminou Bouba equalised for Gokulam early in the second half.
Jordan Rhys Elsey (44) of East Bengal FC celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Gokulam Kerala FC during a Durand Cup 2023 quarter final match, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: PTI
Bouba found the net again, this time in his own goal, as he deflected a Nishu Kumar cross into his own goal to give East Bengal a 2-1 lead which was enough to take them to the semifinals.
Semifinal
East Bengal faced NorthEast United in the first semifinal of the 2023 Durand Cup, its first semifinal in four years. Nandhakumar Sekar was the star again as he scored in stoppage time to level the scores and scored the winning penalty in the shootout to take EBFC to the final.
Michel Zabaco and Phalguni Singh put NEUFC into a two-goal lead, but Naorem Mahesh’s 77th minute strike reduced the deficit before Nandha struck to take the game to penalties.
Harmanjot Singh Khabra celebrates with Prabhsukhan singh Gill after the Durand Cup 2023 semifinal. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI/ The Hindu
East Bengal scored all the attempts as Cleiton Silva, Saul Crespo, Borja Herrera, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar found the target in the shoot-out.
Ibson De Melo, Gani Ahmed and Pragyan Gogoi found the target for NEUFC while Parthib Gogoi missed his attempt.
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