East Bengal wins record-equalling Durand Cup with Lalrindika's hat-trick masterclass

East Bengal demolish Mohun Bagan 4-1 to claim record-equalling Durand Cup title

Edmund Lalrindika's sensational first-half hat-trick powered East Bengal to a crushing 4-1 victory over Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Durand Cup 2026 final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade's clinical counter-attacking display at Salt Lake Stadium delivered sweet revenge for their opening-day defeat to the same opponents and lifted them level with Mohun Bagan on 17 Durand Cup titles each.

Edmund's masterclass stuns Mariners

Despite Mohun Bagan controlling early possession and appearing more composed in the opening exchanges, East Bengal shredded their city rivals on the break with ruthlessly direct football. Edmund opened the scoring from outside the box before demonstrating exceptional awareness inside the area to complete his treble before the interval.

The striker, deputizing for Jesin TK in Antonio Habas' starting eleven, fired East Bengal ahead when his low shot from distance caught goalkeeper Vishal Kaith off guard, the ball bouncing past him into the net.

Bipin Singh doubled the advantage after Mohammed Rashid threaded a disguised pass through to him, with the winger keeping his composure to slot past Kaith into the bottom right corner.

Edmund struck his second when Hardik Bhatt found Daniel Ramirez on the left, who fed the striker into the area. Edmund took one touch past the advancing Kaith before rolling the ball into an empty goal.

Bagan's brief fightback fades

Manvir Singh briefly restored hope for the Mariners after the drinks break, cutting inside from the right and shooting through Anwar Ali's legs, with Prabhsukhan Gill getting a touch but unable to prevent the goal.

However, Edmund completed his hat-trick in added time when Jay Gupta squared Mohammed Rashid's cross to the far post, leaving the striker with a simple tap-in to an unguarded net. Jamie Maclaren later squandered a golden opportunity, scuffing his shot with an empty goal in front of him after Manvir had drawn defenders away.

Tactical gamble backfires for Dilmperis

Mohun Bagan head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis made the bold decision to bench tournament leading scorer Sahal Abdul Samad, who had netted five goals in five appearances including the winner when these sides met in the competition opener. It remained unclear whether the move was tactical or injury-related.

The defeat left the Mariners shocked and deflated, with players visibly feeling their energy drain as East Bengal's dominance grew. Dilmperis had spoken before the match about the final being a "mental battle" where his players needed to "master their emotions," but it was Habas' side who demonstrated superior composure under pressure.

Derby rivalry reaches new heights

The 13th Durand Cup final meeting between the Kolkata giants saw East Bengal avenge their only defeat of the season, a 1-0 loss to Mohun Bagan in the tournament's opening fixture four weeks earlier. The previous 12 final encounters had been split with five wins apiece and two joint titles.

Both teams had navigated difficult semifinal ties, requiring penalty shootout victories over NorthEast United and Sporting Club Delhi respectively. East Bengal's journey to the final was complicated by a strike in Shillong that disrupted their travel, leaving them just one day between their semifinal and the decider.

With this victory, East Bengal drew level with Mohun Bagan as joint-record 17-time Durand Cup champions, cementing the competition's status as a battleground for supremacy between Indian football's two most decorated clubs.