Durand Cup 2025: Three key battles to watch in East Bengal vs Diamond Harbour FC

Diamond Harbour FC have qualified for the Durand Cup semi-finals for the first time.

East Bengal will be looking to take one step closer to the 2025 Durand Cup title when they face off against Kolkata rivals Diamond Harbour FC in the semifinal clash on Wednesday, 20 August 2025. The Red & Gold Brigade are flying high on momentum after their impressive win over Mohun Bagan in the quarterfinals, but now face an unpredictable threat that should not be taken lightly.

Diamond Harbour FC proved their quality by eliminating Jamshedpur FC from the tournament, producing a compelling performance. That is why their game against East Bengal should be a fascinating affair in which both sides will be pushing to get one over the other.

There should be plenty of chances for both teams and entertainment on display, but the game will be decided on a few particular factors. These factors pertain to a few interesting battles that will take place on the pitch, winning which could give one side the edge over the other.

Also Read: Diamond Harbour FC vs East Bengal Preview, team news, lineups & prediction | Durand Cup 2025 semifinal

Here we look at the three key battles to watch in East Bengal vs Diamond Harbour FC in the 2025 Durand Cup semi-final.

3. Naorem Mahesh Singh vs Paul Ramfangzauva

Naorem Mahesh Singh is absolutely thriving in the newfound role in Oscar Bruzon’s system, where he gets the utmost freedom to roam around the empty pockets of space in the midfield.

He is showing zero signs of pressure as East Bengal captain and put on a superb display against Mohun Bagan, even producing a beautiful assist. It’ll be important for the Diamond Harbour FC players to keep Mahesh quiet in order to neutralize a major chance creation factor for East Bengal.

That is probably why Paul Ramfangzauva will be urged to step up and prove his quality in the midfield. The 26-year-old has plenty of experience in playing big games and will need to be a proactive figure in the midfield, making crucial challenges and recover possession in key areas.

Mahesh will need to be on his toes and clever with his off-the-ball movement to evade Paul’s marker, while the Diamond Harbour FC player looks to neutralise his threat through the central areas.

2. Luka Majcen vs Anwar Ali

Luka Majcen has been a major driving force for Diamond Harbour FC in the Durand Cup, producing some eye-catching performances in Kibu Vicuna’s system. After having joined the I-League club following a pretty good 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign, Majcen has started this new season sharply and looks really lively in the Durand Cup matches.

He will arguably be his side’s biggest attacking threat and will look to slip past the defenders’ mark to get into all the goal-scoring areas. He will, however, face a tough task against the sturdy Anwar Ali in the Durand Cup semifinal.

Ali has been in brilliant form in the tournament, helping his side keep a few clean sheets, and he was particularly sturdy against Mohun Bagan. The Indian international will need to be sharp with his defensive work, which includes reading the opposition moves and Majcen’s movement perfectly. He’ll need to stop Majcen from getting free spacein the final third to frustrate him.

However, Luka has a few tricks up his sleeve and will aim to utilise them to confuse the East Bengal backline. This thrilling battle could decide whether Diamond Harbour can get a win or their attacking prospects are crumbled up.

1. Dimitrios Diamantakos vs Mikel Idiakez

Dimitrios Diamantakos proved his ability to perform in the big games for East Bengal with a clinical performance in the Kolkata derby, scoring two really well-taken goals against Mohun Bagan. The Greek forward is seemingly thriving under the pressure of fighting for the centre-forawrd role with Hamid Ahadad and has already scored some nice goals in the Durand Cup.

However, consistency is key in order for Diamantakos to stamp his authority as a regular no.9 for East Bengal and he will need to produce a clinical display against Diamond Harbour to do so. However, he is likely to face a stiff outing against the Kolkata side’s defender Mikel Korataza Idiakez.

The Spanish centre-back has produced some impressive performances in the tournament, helping his side hold together a sturdy defensive line. That is probably why Diamantakos will need to be sharp and proactive with his work in the final third to outwit the opposition centre-back.

Idiakez will look to track Dimitrios’ movement and mark him out of the game, making some crunching challenges to rattle him. Diamantakos has to maintain his composure and be really unpredictable with his movement to confuse the defender and raise East Bengal’s goal-scoring threat in the semifinal.

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