3 Takeaways from Week 2 of Durand Cup 2023

The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup is underway and clubs from the ISL, the I-League and the Army are battling it out for the knockout spots. The second week of Asia's oldest tournament witnessed more footballing action and thrilling encounters.

East Bengal and Gokulam Kerala won their respective derbies. ISL teams like Chennaiyin, FC Goa and Odisha FC went from strength to strength, whereas the I-League sides also eked out crucial points.

With just one more week to go in the Durand Cup group stages, five quarter-final spots are still up for grabs. Winning the cup before the ISL/I-League kicks off will be a terrific way to begin the long club footballing season that lies ahead for the Indian teams.

Let's take a look at the three major takeaways from the second week of the Durand Cup.

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#1 Derby Day Victors

East Bengal FC and Gokulam Kerala claimed the bragging rights as they emerged victorious in their respective derbies in the ongoing Durand Cup.

Most fans had written off East Bengal ahead of the Kolkata Derby. Their arch-rivals Mohun Bagan had registered seven goals in their opening two games in the tournament, conceding none. The Red and Gold Brigade, on the other hand, had huffed and puffed on their way to securing one point against the Bangladesh Army Football Team.

However, things looked very different when the two sides took to the pitch at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Saturday. Juan Ferrando's Mohun Bagan, for all the money they had splashed, were sloppy in defence and unimaginative in attack.

Nandhakumar Sekar's lovely left-footed finish in the 59th minute secured all three points for Carles Cuadrat's team. It was the first win for East Bengal after seven consecutive derby defeats.

While the Kolkata Derby was cagey, the Kerala Derby was anything but. Gokulam Kerala raced away to a 3-1 lead at half-time at the Mohun Bagan Ground against Kerala Blasters on August 13.

Abhijith K tripled their lead with a piledriver from outside the box as the second half kicked off. The Blasters looked like they might make a comeback after Prabir Das and Adrian Luna scored but the match ended with a 4-3 scoreline to GKFC.

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#2 Teams secure knockout spots

Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa and East Bengal have emerged as the first teams to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2023 Durand Cup.

The top-ranked teams from the six groups along with the two best second-placed teams will proceed to the knockout stages.

In Group A, East Bengal finished with seven points, one more than Mohun Bagan, who are one of the top candidates in qualifying as a second-ranked team. In Group D, FC Goa has finished unbeaten with seven points from three games and in Group E, Chennaiyin have registered two wins from as many games so far, sitting on six points with a game in hand.

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#3 I-League teams pick up crucial points

While the first week of the Durand Cup saw the ISL teams dominate, a few I-League teams collected wins in the second week.

On August 11, Mohammedan SC defeated Indian Navy FT 2-1 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan. Lalhlansanga and Lalremsanga scored for the Black Panthers, while Britto PM netted a late consolation goal for the Navy.

Gokulam scripted their historic win at the Mohun Bagan Ground against Kerala Blasters in the derby.

Shillong Lajong got their first and only win in the Durand Cup 2023 as they defeated Downtown Heroes FC 2-1 at the SAI stadium in Kokrajhar. A brace from Ronney secured all three points for the Reds.