East Bengal crushes Mohun Bagan Super Giants in the Kolkata derby to lift the Durand Cup

East Bengal lifted their 17th Durand Cup after defeating arch rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giants. (Image credits—The Run Of Play)

East Bengal have finally ended their long wait for the prestigious Durand Cup, which is Asia's oldest tournament.

The Red and Gold brigade achieved their dream in the most historic way possible by destroying their arch rivals, Mohun Bagan Super Giants, 4-1 in the high-stakes Kolkata derby final.

At the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, Antonio Lopez Habas’ side produced a performance that will always live in the club's history, and chants of this joy will be sung by supporters.

East Bengal lifted their 17th Durand Cup title, levelling Mohun Bagan Super Giants as the joint most successful side in the competition, and it was way more significant as it ended their 22-year-old wait for the trophy.

The game was decided in the first half itself, as the Red and Golds needed just 10 minutes to break the deadlock.

Bipin Singh received the ball from Mohammad Rashid and drove past the Mariners’ defence before finishing past Vishal Kaith to give East Bengal the lead. Just two minutes later, the lead was doubled.

Edmund Lalrindika bagged a sensational goal from outside of the box, making the score 2-0 within just 12 minutes. Mohun Bagan did come close with a free kick from Liston Colaco, which was superbly saved by goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill.

Lalrindika found the net again in the 22nd minute, and the scoreline was predicted to get even uglier. However, Manvir Singh scored a brilliant goal to get one back for the Mariners' but then it was followed by the defining moment of the Kolkata derby.

Edmund Lalrindika completed his hat-trick just before the break, and it gave East Bengal a 4-1 lead heading into half-time.

In the second half, Mohun Bagan enjoyed larger spells of possession, but without effectiveness, it's meaningless. The Mariners had 7 shots on target, while East Bengal had 6, but one side just wasn't effective enough in front of the goal.

Habas' side remained compact in the second half and defensively dropped deeper and looked dangerous on the break. They could've easily scored two more goals and made the scoreline even uglier for the Mariners'.

East Bengal were crowned champions of the Durand Cup, and as the final whistle blew, the Red and Gold faithful burst into wild celebrations, and at the centre of all celebrations stood Edmund Lalrindika, the hero of this iconic Kolkata derby.

He became the first player after the legendary Baichung Bhutia to score a hat-trick against Mohun Bagan in a Kolkata derby.

East Bengal had endured difficult seasons, managerial changes and repeated failures, but now winning back-to-back trophies over their arch rivals is simply a sensational turnaround.

The Red and Golds are also set to represent India in the AFC Champions League Two. For East Bengal, this Durand Cup win wasn't just a trophy; it was a statement.