Mohun Bagan Super Giant have shown more attacking intent in the early exchanges but East Bengal suddenly took a 2-0 lead when they scored twice in two minutes just after the 10th minute in the Durand Cup final.
Bipin Singh put them ahead after which Edmund scored the second. Edmund then scored a brilliantly worked goal after some deft dribbles in the box to put East Bengal 3-0 up in the 22nd minute.
Asia’s oldest football tournament returns to where it began four weeks ago as East Bengal FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant meet once more at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Sunday for the final of the 135th Durand Cup. The kick-off is scheduled for 17:00 IST. The Kolkata Derby needs no introduction, yet the circumstances of this renewal lend it an extra edge: Mohun Bagan won the opening match of the tournament, and East Bengal have spent the intervening weeks seeking a way to reverse that result when it matters most, according to a release.
The 135th edition began on July 25 with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal FC drawing first blood in Group A. Sahal Abdul Samad’s second-half strike settled a tight, tactically cagey derby 1-0 in the Mariners’ favour. It remains the only defeat East Bengal have suffered in the campaign.