Durand Cup 2025: Mohun Bagan too good for DHFC, set up Epic Kolkata Derby on 17th

Durand Cup 2025 – Mohun Bagan too good for DHFC, set up Epic Kolkata Derby on 17th: The reigning ISL Champions make three in three in the group stages of Durand Cup 2025 as they swept past Diamond Harbour FC in an one sided contest. The Mariners took time to settle into the game and once they did, it was a complete dominance until the final whistle blown. Anirudh Thapa opened the scoring with Majcen restoring five minutes after. After Maclaren found the back of the net, the game became predictable as the result showed 5-1 in favor of the 2024 Durand Cup champions. Sahal, Liston, and Jason too registered a goal each on their name as the Green and Maroon start preparing for the Kolkata Derby.

Mohun Bagan opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Anirudh Thapa, who collected a first-time pass on the edge of the box and curled a stunning strike into the top-right corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

However, Diamond Harbour responded swiftly. Just four minutes later, a defensive lapse from Bagan gifted Luka Majcen space inside the area. The forward made no mistake, calmly slotting past an advancing Vishal Kaith to level the score at 1–1.

The game remained finely balanced until the 33rd minute, when Bagan regained the lead. A poor clearance from the Diamond Harbour goalkeeper fell straight to Jamie MacLaren, who instinctively toe-poked the ball into the net to restore the advantage and ignite the home crowd.

At halftime, the Mariners held a slender 2–1 lead.

The second half began with Bagan asserting their dominance. Within minutes of the restart, Liston Colaco was brought down in the box by Naresh Singh Yendrembam after a darting run. The foul not only earned Bagan a penalty but also saw Naresh receive a straight red card, reducing Diamond Harbour to ten men.

Liston stepped up and dispatched the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way to make it 3–1. Bagan continued to pile on the pressure and were rewarded again in the 64th minute. A defensive mishap allowed Sahal Abdul Samad to latch onto a loose ball inside the area, and he calmly slotted it home to extend the lead to 4–1.

The rout was completed in the 80th minute. Jason Cummings, left unmarked on the edge of the box, was picked out by a perfectly timed pass. With typical finesse, he stroked the ball into the bottom corner to round off an emphatic 5–1 win.

With this commanding victory, Mohun Bagan march into the next round of the Durand Cup, where a high-stakes Kolkata Derby clash with East Bengal awaits on August 17.