Edmund Lalrindika delivered a memorable derby performance, scoring a hat-trick as East Bengal defeated arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant 4-1 to win the Durand Cup at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday.
The victory ended East Bengal’s 22-year wait for the prestigious trophy. Their previous Durand Cup triumph had come in 2004, when they beat Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the final.
Antonio Lopez Habas’ East Bengal dominated the first half with ruthless finishing. Captain Mohammed Rashid was instrumental in their attacking play, setting up Bipin Singh for the opening goal in the 10th minute.
Lalrindika then took centre stage. He doubled East Bengal’s lead two minutes later with a powerful long-range effort that deflected off goalkeeper Vishal Kaith before entering the net.
The striker scored again in the 22nd minute, rounding Kaith and finishing into an empty net after Daniel Ramirez and Hardik Bhatt combined to create the opportunity.
Mohun Bagan briefly responded through Manvir Singh in the 33rd minute, but East Bengal restored their three-goal advantage just before half-time. Rashid’s cross eventually reached Jay Gupta, whose ball across the goal was tapped in by Lalrindika to complete his hat-trick.
Mohun Bagan had more possession after the break but could not create enough clear chances. East Bengal defended compactly and comfortably protected their advantage until the final whistle.
The victory also avenged East Bengal’s 0-1 defeat to Mohun Bagan in the 2023 Durand Cup final.
The result leaves both Kolkata giants level on 17 Durand Cup titles, the joint-most in the competition’s 135-year history.
For East Bengal, however, the numbers matter less than the wait finally being over. After 22 years, the Durand Cup is back with the Red and Gold—and they reclaimed it by beating their fiercest rivals 4-1.
