East Bengal's Defence Faces SC Delhi Test In Durand Cup Semi-Final
East Bengal's defensive resilience will be tested by SC Delhi's free-flowing attack when the two sides clash in the first semifinal of the Durand Cup on Wednesday.
East Bengal's defensive resilience will be tested by SC Delhi's free-flowing attack when the two sides clash in the first semifinal of the Durand Cup on Wednesday, with the 16-time champions starting as favourites in front of their home crowd. The other semifinal will see East Bengal's arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant take on Northeast United FC in Shillong on Thursday, with a potential summit clash between the Kolkata giants -- and a repeat of the 2023 final -- in sight. Mohun Bagan had beaten East Bengal 1-0 in that final. East Bengal have scored 14 goals and conceded just once in the tournament, that solitary goal coming in their 0-1 defeat to Mohun Bagan in the opening game of Group A.
They have since kept four consecutive clean sheets, thrashing CISF Protectors 8-0 and South United FC 5-0 before edging Indian Army FT 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
SC Delhi on the other hand have been the competition's most prolific side, scoring 21 goals in four matches and conceding only three.
They topped Group C with nine points after beating Jamshedpur FC 2-1, Defenders FC 7-0 and Indian Air Force FT 7-1, before recovering from an early setback to beat FC Raengdai 5-1 in the quarterfinals.
The Delhi side's attacking threat is led by Brazilian forward Rodriguinho, who has scored seven goals, including a five-goal haul against Defenders FC.
He also scored in the quarterfinal comeback against Raengdai and has emerged as one of the tournament's most dangerous attackers.
Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, East Bengal will rely on the likes of Anwar Ali and Sandip Mandi in the backline to keep the Brazilian under control, while Spanish midfielder Dani Ramirez has been a key creative presence for the Kolkata side.
Mohammed Rashid offers another attacking outlet and PV Vishnu has scored four times, including a hat-trick against CISF Protectors and the winning header against Indian Army.
East Bengal's resolute defence has been a defining feature under head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, whose teams are traditionally built around organisation, tactical discipline and compact defending, with quick transitions when possession is won.
Captain Rashid believes East Bengal have an opportunity to go one step further after missing out on the final last season.
"We still regret missing out on the Durand Cup final last season. However, it's a brilliant opportunity for us to go a step further and win our first title of the season," Rashid said.
SC Delhi coach Tomasz Tchorz is equally eager to make the occasion count for a club still in its formative years.
"For our club, Sporting Club Delhi, this is a historic achievement because we are a newly created club. This is one of the first semi-finals, or perhaps the first semi-final, for the club. But we want more," he said.
Lalrinliana Hnamte has also emerged as an important contributor for SC Delhi, scoring twice in their comeback win over Jamshedpur.
The team's numbers suggest their attack is not dependent solely on Rodriguinho, with their ability to create pressure from multiple areas complemented by a defence that has conceded just three goals.
Tchorz is expecting a difficult evening against East Bengal at the Salt Lake Stadium, where the home side will enjoy a sizeable support base.
"It is something very beautiful to be able to play against a team like East Bengal, especially in their city, because we know that Kolkata is a city of football," the SC Delhi coach said.
"The football culture is very well developed here, and for sure the crowd will be there. Most of them will be cheering for their home team," he said.
The Portuguese coach also described the semifinal as a contest between two footballing cities and ambitious clubs.
"This is also a battle between two big cities, Kolkata and Delhi. It is a battle between two beautiful clubs and teams, East Bengal and Sporting Club Delhi," Tchorz said.
SC Delhi have scored seven goals in each of their last two group matches and added five in the quarterfinals, while East Bengal have built their campaign around defensive security and controlled attacking phases.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)