Durand Cup 2022 - Preview, Schedule, Where to Watch, Live Stream

Preview

The 131st edition of the Durand Cup will begin on August 16, 2022, with the final taking place on September 18 at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. It is Asia's oldest football competition, having begun in 1888. The defending Durand Cup champions are FC Goa.The competition's upcoming edition will feature 20 teams spread across four groups.

The Durand Cup 2022 will take place in five different locations across three states. The designated venues are Salt Lake Stadium, Naihati Stadium, Kishore Bharati Stadium (West Bengal), Khuman Lampak Stadium (Imphal, Manipur), and Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati, Assam).

Let us take a look at the fixtures and the major encounters to look for in this tournament:

Schedule

Group A - FC Goa, Mohammedan Sporting, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Indian Air Force

Fixtures

August 16 - FC Goa vs Mohammedan SC

August 17- Jamshedpur vs Bengaluru FC

August 19- FC Goa vs Indian Air Force

August 21- Mohammedan SC vs Jamshedpur FC

August 23- Bengaluru FC vs Indian Air Force

August 26- Jamshedpur FC vs FC Goa

August 27- Mohammedan SC vs Indian Air Force

August 30- Bengaluru FC vs FC Goa

September 1- Jamshedpur FC vs Indian Air Force

September 2- Mohammedan SC vs Bengaluru FC

The season opener on August 16 will feature a re-enactment of last year's final at Salt Lake Stadium. While FC Goa, who did not have a good time after the previous Durand Cup, will want to start the season with a win, Mohammedan SC will be looking for vengeance. It has the potential to be the most exciting game in Group A.

The clash between the Blues of Bengaluru and the Men of Steel of Jamshedpur is one of the most anticipated games in Group A. With a new coach on board, the Blues have undergone a major transformation, and so is the case for Jamshedpur.

Both teams joined India's top flight league in 2017 and have won a trophy each since. The Durand Cup will be Jamshedpur FC's second appearance after their involvement last year. Meanwhile, Bengaluru have been taking part in the competition since 2019.

The battle of two ISL League Winners' Shield champions will be another important affair. While Jamshedpur FC are the defending Indian Super League shield champion, FC Goa are the defending Durand Cup champions.

The game is scheduled for August 26. Both teams will enter the competition with new head coaches and squads. Jamshedpur has a tense relationship with their Goan counterparts. Despite completing the double over the Gaurs last season, the Men of Steel trail in the head-to-head record. FC Goa have won five of the ten meetings between the two teams, while Jamshedpur have won four. Surprisingly, only one match has resulted in a draw, and that was in 2019.

Group B - East Bengal, ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Rajasthan United FC, Indian Navy.

Fixtures

18 August- Mumbai City v Indian Navy

20 August- ATK Mohun Bagan v Rajasthan United

22 August- East Bengal v Indian Navy

24 August- ATK Mohun Bagan v Mumbai City

25 August- East Bengal v Rajasthan United

28 August- East Bengal v ATK Mohun Bagan

29 August- Mumbai City v Rajasthan United

31 August- ATK Mohun Bagan v Indian Navy

3 September- East Bengal v Mumbai City

5 September- Rajasthan United v Indian Navy

In Group B, it doesn't get much bigger than this. The Kolkata Derby will take place on August 28th at the Salt Lake Stadium. As always in the Kolkata Derby, the stakes are extremely high. East Bengal are yet to taste victory against their ISL rivals since jumping ship from the I-League.

ATK Mohun Bagan have won all 4 ISL derbies and have established dominance over their arch-rivals. Furthermore, they have 11 goals, averaging 2.75 goals per game. However, East Bengal have a knack to emerge from their caves and demonstrate how they have managed to win 16 Durand Cup trophies.

In ATK's clash against Mumbai City FC, two of Indian football's powerhouses will square off to produce a game for everyone to remember .The Islanders have always been tough on their Kolkata rivals. Mumbai City FC have won four of the five encounters between the two sides, with one game ending in a draw. Furthermore, two of Mumbai City's four victories have denied ATK Mohun Bagan silverware.

So the Mariners will almost certainly have revenge on their minds. Since the end of the ISL, both teams have had captivating continental stints. While ATK Mohun Bagan advanced to the next round of the AFC Cup, Mumbai City performed admirably in the AFC Champions League.

Group C - NEROCA FC, TRAU FC, Hyderabad FC, Chennaiyin FC, Army Red.

Fixtures

August 18- NEROCA vs TRAU

August 20- Chennaiyin vs Army Red

August 22- TRAU vs Hyderabad

August 24- Army Red vs NEROCA

August 26- Hyderabad vs Chennaiyin

August 28- TRAU vs Army Red

August 30- Hyderabad vs NEROCA

September 1- TRAU vs Chennaiyin

September 3- Army Red vs Hyderabad

September 5- NEROCA vs Chennaiyin

The Imphal Derby will take place on August 18 at Imphal's Khuman Lampak Main Stadium. This is a highly anticipated Group C fixture that is expected to live up to the hype. The Yellow Brigade have an advantage over their neighbours. TRAU have only won once in five matches, while NEROCA FC have won three. The other game was a tie. NEROCA won the most recent meeting between the two teams in the I-league by a score of 2-0.

On August 26 in Imphal, the defending ISL champions Hyderabad will face the two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC. The Marina Machans were one of the few teams to remain unbeaten against the ISL champions last season. Chennaiyin vanquished Hyderabad FC in their season opener before drawing with them in the league's second phase.

The fact that there has never been a goalless draw between the two teams adds to the intrigue. Chennaiyin FC have three wins to Hyderabad's two in the six matches played between them. Only one game has ended in a tie, which occurred in their most recent meeting in January.

Group D - Sudeva FC, Odisha FC, NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Army Green

Fixtures

August 17- Odisha vs NorthEast United

August 19- Sudeva Delhi vs Kerala Blasters

August 21- NorthEast United vs Army Green

August 23- Odisha vs Kerala Blasters

August 25- Army Green vs Sudeva Delhi

August 27- NorthEast United vs Kerala Blasters

August 29- Odisha vs Sudeva Delhi

August 31- Kerala Blasters vs Army Green

September 2- NorthEast United vs Sudeva Delhi

September 4- Army Green vs Odisha

Two teams with some of the best fan bases in the country will square off in the home of North East United, Guwahati. The Blasters will face the Highlanders at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on August 27.Both teams are expected to field reserves, with a few first-team players leading the charge. The Blasters were runners-up in both the ISL and the RF Development League.

In doing so, the Yellow Army qualified for the high-profile Next Gen Cup, which was held in the United Kingdom. The team came in fourth place in the competition. North East United's reserve team, on the other hand, was crowned champions of the GSA C division after a dominant performance. The Highlanders and Blasters have produced numerous memorable moments on the field, and the same can be expected of them in the Durand Cup.

Where to Watch?

The Durand Cup 2022 will be live telecast by official broadcasters Sports18 Network. The channels in the network include Sports19, Sports18HD, and Sports18 Khel.

Live Stream

The live action can also be streamed on the Voot Select app as well as the Jio TV app.