Mohun Bagan Super Giant will face Emami East Bengal in the final of the 132nd Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, August 3.
Mohun Bagan will face East Bengal in the Durand Cup final for the first time since 2004. It last reached the final in 2019, where it was defeated by Gokulam Kerala FC.
FOLLOW THE MATCH LIVE HERE: EAST BENGAL VS MOHUN BAGAN SUPER GIANT LIVE SCORE
Ahead of the 2023 final, here is how Juan Ferrando’s men reached the summit clash.
Group stage
Mohun Bagan was paired in Group A with arch-rival Emami East Bengal, Bangladesh Army and Punjab FC.
It started its 2023 Durand Cup campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Bangladesh Army. The Mariners were almost flawless in that match and dominated their opponent thoroughly, as Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Suhail Bhat, Lalrinliana Hnamte and Kiyan Nassiri got on the scoresheet.
Manvir Singh celebrates after scoring against Bangladesh Army in Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s opening group stage match. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media Team
Mohun Bagan clinched a 2-0 win in its second group match against Punjab FC, with Melroy Assisi of Punjab scoring an own goal and Hugo Boumous bagging the second of the match.
Its third and final group stage match was against rival East Bengal.
The Mariners started the match as heavy favourites, not only because they had a superior squad on paper but also for the fact that East Bengal had not defeated its rival for four years - eight matches to be precise. However, contrary to popular expectations, it was the Red and Gold Brigade that broke Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s unbeaten streak in the Kolkata Derby by clinching a win with a 1-0 scoreline. Nandhakumar Sekar found the net for East Bengal.
Quarterfinal
It was a clash of heavyweights in the quarterfinal as Mohun Bagan faced Mumbai City FC.
With both teams having arguably the best set of players among Indian teams, the match had no clear favourites.
Anwar Ali celebrates after scoring against Mumbai City FC. | Photo Credit: Durand Cup Media Team
However, it was Mohun Bagan, which reigned supreme as it clinched a 3-1 win against the Islanders. Jason Cummings opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the ninth minute. However, Jorge Pereyra Diaz equalised for Mumbai City in the 28th minute.
Mohun Bagan quickly took the lead again as Manvir Singh scored in the 30th minute to make it 2-1, and Anwar Ali found the net with a well-taken header in the 63rd minute to cap off a good performance by the Mariners.
Semifinal
It was another tricky clash for Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the semifinal as it faced a rejuvenated FC Goa side under the tutelage of Manolo Marquez.
Played in front of a home crowd, the Mohun Bagan faithful went silent when Noah Sadaoui opened the scoring in the 23rd minute with an excellent finish.
Sadiku celebrates after scoring Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s second goal against FC Goa. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI/The Hindu
But, just before half-time, the Mariners got a penalty as Ashique Kuruniyan was brought down inside the box. Cummings stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Goa keeper Dheeraj Singh the wrong way to find the net for the equaliser.
The winning goal came from second-half substitute Armando Sadiku in the 61st minute. Sandesh Jhingan failed to intercept the ball and it fell to Sadiku, who took a couple of touches, before dispatching a venomous shot from the edge of the penalty area to rattle the net.
Goa did not throw the towel and kept on fighting but the Mariners prevailed to book a final date with East Bengal.
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