Diamond Harbour FC Stuns East Bengal to Reach Durand Cup Final
Diamond Harbour FC emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over East Bengal in the Durand Cup semi-finals, thanks to second-half goals by Mikel Idiakez and Joby Justin. Anwar Ali equalized for East Bengal, but the debutants secured their spot in the final against NorthEast United FC.
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In a historic performance, debutants Diamond Harbour FC (DHFC) upset East Bengal 2-1 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) on Wednesday. This victory in the second semi-final of the 134th Durand Cup was sealed with second-half goals by Spanish defender Mikel Idiakez and Kerala forward Joby Justin.
Anwar Ali had momentarily given East Bengal hope with an equalizer shortly after Idiakez opened the scoring with a spectacular back-volley. However, Joby's decisive strike ended the Red & Golds' campaign, propelling DHFC to the final where they face NorthEast United FC on Saturday.
Under coach Kibu Vicuna's strategic setup, Diamond Harbour started with a three-man defense and four attackers. East Bengal's Carlos Bruzon left Greek forward Dimitrios Diamantakos isolated upfront. Despite this, it was DHFC who dominated early proceedings, demonstrating tactical acumen and resilience.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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