Durand Cup 2023 Final: East Bengal 0-1 Mohun Bagan at Full Time - Highlights
10-man Mohun Bagan beat East Bengal 1-0 in the 2023 Durand Cup final. Dimitros Petratos scored the only goal in the 71st minute.
Durand Cup Final (Kolkata derby)
Durand Cup 2023 Final: A 10-man Mohun Bagan side beat East Bengal 1-0 in the Durand Cup final at the Vivekanada Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday (September 3, 2023). Dimitros Petratos scored the only goal in the 71st minute to give MBSG a famous win over their city rivals.
Neither team could break the deadlock in an exciting first half, in which EB's Nandhakumar Sekar and MB's Petratos went close to scoring. There were four yellow cards in added time of the first half as the match became ill-tempered. Anirudh Thapa was sent off for a second yellow, but Dimitros Petratos made it 1-0 for 10-man MB in the 71st minute.
Highlights:
For nine whole minutes today between the 62nd minute and 71st, after Anirudh Thapa was sent off and Petratos scored, it seemed as if East Bengal had reached heaven. Two derby wins in the same tournament after four years of no wins?! It wasn't to be though, as their unimaginitive attacks were firmly kept out by the MBSG defence led by Anwar Ali.
After 10 minutes of added time, the referee blows. Kolkata explodes! The city is green and maroon again. Indian football is green and maroon again.
Mohun Bagan are Durand Cup champions! But perhaps far more importantly, Mohun Bagan are champions of Kolkata! East Bengal might have stolen the bragging rights in the group stage, but Mohun Bagan have set the record straight in the final.
Here's the goal that sealed the 1-0 win:
Manvir hands East Bengal a free kick just outside the box to give EB a chance after a while. Mahesh delivers, Nishu Kumar heads. Wide. Is that East Bengal's last chance? Down to the last minute now, though some time will be added on for the 2nd red card.
Sahal walks off substituted like he is taking a walk down the Cochin dock. Shubhashish goes down under a challenge and decides that in the middle of the pitch is where he wants his treatment done. Mohun Bagan in no hurry to get on with the minutes of added time.
'Mohun Bagan' chants ring out!
And a red card! For Dimas Delgado, assistant coach of the East Bengal team. For dissent. The drama continues.
Petratos's goal still the difference between the sides.
The crosses keep coming in from Nandha. A loose ball comes out to Crespo, but he whacks a hopeful kick which goes nowhere. EB are pressing, but there is no way through. Anwar Ali marshals the MB defence staunchly as EB keep squandering their chances.
9 minutes of added time
East Bengal make a spate of changes to bring fresh energy for the last 10 minutes. Suhair, one of the subs, comes in an collects an yellow card for pulling at an opponent. Liston Colaco makes a solo run down the left as EB look suspect on the counter. He tries to find Cummings instead of shooting and Khabra can clear.
At the other end, East Bengal throw everything forward! Nandha makes a nuisance of himself on the right flank. Mandar Rao overhits a cross from the left to give MB some relief.
East Bengal strike back like wounded tigers even as tears start flowing in the stands. Nandhakumar shoots just over the bar a minute after the Mohun Bagan goal. Siverio then goes close as we break for the last water break of the game.
13 more minutes of regulation time.
Mohun Bagan, under the cosh with a one-man disadvantage, fire back. Dimitros Petratos, rising like a Greek god, slams his shot into goal after a counter-attack. It was a shot from outside the box and it found its way in through a sea of legs.
What a goal! What a time to score it!
Mohun Bagan, at least for the next few minutes, are kings of Kolkata!
A massive blow for Mohun Bagan! Anirudh Thapa picks up a second yellow card for a high boot challenge against Siverio. With 30 minutes to go, Mohun Bagan will have to navigate the rest of the match with ten men. A tough uphill battle awaits!
What a miss from Hugo! Petratos delivers a high ball to Manvir on the right, and Manvir sets it up perfectly for Hugo inside the box. It should have been an easy finish, but Hugo misses the target. A golden opportunity goes begging for Mohun Bagan!