Diamantakos Dazzles: East Bengal's Triumph in a Fiery Kolkata Derby

In a stunning Kolkata Derby clash, East Bengal emerged victorious over archrivals Mohun Bagan with a 2-1 scoreline in the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup. Greek substitute striker Dimitrios Diamantakos was the catalyst, scoring twice to propel East Bengal into the semifinals.

Diamantakos entered the field as an 18th-minute substitute after forward Hamid Ahadad was injured, and he quickly made his mark. He converted a penalty in the 38th minute, then doubled the lead early in the second half with a decisive strike that thwarted the defending ISL champions.

Despite a late goal from Mohun Bagan's Anirudh Thapa, which gave the match a dramatic finish, East Bengal's defense held firm to secure their first high-level Derby win over Bagan in over a year and a half. East Bengal now looks forward to facing Diamond Harbour FC in a much-anticipated semifinal.

(With inputs from agencies.)