Determined East Bengal FC To Host Debutant Diamond Harbour FC In 2nd Durand Cup Semifinal, Red And Gold Brigade Eye Record 17th Title

A jubilant East Bengal will host debutant Diamond Harbour FC in the second Durand Cup semifinal at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Wednesday. The Red and Gold brigade got the better of their archrival Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2-1 to advance to the last eight, while Diamond Harbour FC stunned Jamshedpur FC 2-0 to book a place in the semifinals.

East Bengal FC Seek 17th Durand Cup Title

Under coach Oscar Bruzonl, East Bengal have managed to address their loopholes and have transformed from a side that struggled in recent derbies to one brimming with confidence and tactical sharpness. East Bengal are yet to be challenged in the Durand Cup and finished Group A as the winners with convincing victories over Namdhari FC, Indian Air Force FT and South United FC. In the quarterfinal, substitute Dimitrios Diamantakos rose to the occasion with a memorable brace after replacing the injured Hamid Ahadad, helping East Bengal claim their first senior derby victory in over 18 months.

Oscar Bruzon isn't taking Diamond Harbour FC lightly. In the pre-match press conference, he said, "They are debutants, but they play without fear, and that makes them very dangerous. There is no time for complacency. We've had a good result in the quarterfinals, but now we must show the same intensity and focus. Playing at the Salt Lake Stadium with our supporters behind us gives us strength, but we know Diamond Harbour has a coach who knows our strength and weakness. The reality is that we plan and prepare every game. These games are tricky when you think you are superior."

Debutant Diamond Harbour FC Will Hope To Continue Dream Run

Diamond Harbour FC's debut run in the Durand Cup has been nothing short of spectacular. They started their group stage with a stunning 2-1 victory over Mohammedan SC, thanks to Luka Majcen's injury-time winner, before running riot against Border Security Force with an emphatic 8-1 triumph. They went on to suffer a 1-5 defeat to eventual group winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant, but their goal difference of +4 was sufficient to secure qualification as one of the best second-placed teams. In the quarterfinals, they travelled to ‘The Furnace’ in Jamshedpur and delivered a masterclass performance, winning 2-0 courtesy of Sairuatkima's first-half brace.

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Diamond Harbour FC head coach Kibu Vicuna is confident ahead of the high-voltage clash. He said, We are playing against one of the best team in India in Durand semifinals. East Bengal are a strong side with quality players, and they have just beaten the champions, but football is played on the pitch, not on paper. They have very good international players and they’re doing really well. But we have shown throughout this tournament that we can compete with anyone."

The match will kick off at the Salt Lake Stadium at 7 PM IST.

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