East Bengal 8–0 CISF Protectors: A Dominant Durand Cup Performance

The hurt from the derby lasted six days. East Bengal needed only 90 minutes to let it all out.

Under the lights at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, the Indian Super League champion tore CISF Protectors apart 8–0 in a Durand Cup 2026 Group A tie on Friday, a result that ranks among the heaviest wins in the long history of the tournament.

PV Vishnu walked off with a hat-trick, Jesin TK helped himself to a brace, and there were goals for Jeakson Singh and Bipin Singh, plus an own goal, as Antonio Lopez Habas’ side turned a must-win group game into a public exhibition of their attacking depth.

From Derby Hangover to Durand Rampage

The build-up carried a hint of tension. East Bengal had opened its season with a 1–0 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant, a result that stung a club still basking in its ISL title. CISF Protectors, beaten 2–0 by South United in their opener, arrived with a clear plan: sit deep, survive, and hope.

For 37 minutes, they did.

East Bengal, in its white kit, started at a sprint. Inside four minutes, Vishnu produced the first warning, meeting an Edmund cross with an acrobatic effort that crashed off the post. The Red-and-Gold Brigade swarmed the CISF half, working the flanks through Hardik and Edmund, while Dani Ramirez pulled strings between the lines.

Raj Mathur, CISF’s goalkeeper, turned into a one-man barrier. He saved from Jesin early, then denied Dani from a free-kick and Rashid from close range. When Vishnu tried his luck from distance in the 18th minute, Raj flew across goal to palm it away. It felt like a matter of time, but CISF’s low block and Raj’s resistance kept the scoreline clean.

Then the dam burst.

Vishnu Opens the Floodgates

In the 38th minute, East Bengal’s pressure finally told. Edmund, busy and direct all evening, drove into the box and cut the ball back. Vishnu, positioned smartly, finished with a deft back-heel, steering the ball past Raj to make it 1–0. The release inside the stadium was instant; the champions had their first goal of the Durand Cup.

CISF, who had barely strung together meaningful attacks beyond hopeful balls to Jatinder and Jacob, began to fray. East Bengal smelled blood and attacked in waves.

Deep into first-half stoppage time, they struck again. Dani drew both Raj and defender MD Khalid towards him on the edge of the box and then slipped a simple pass to the unmarked Jeakson. The India midfielder needed only a touch to roll it in for 3–0, adding to an earlier own goal that had doubled the lead. A tight contest had turned into a procession by the interval.

Second Half: From Control to Carnage

Any hope of CISF regaining shape vanished within two minutes of the restart.

In the 47th minute, left-back Sandip Mandi swung in a cross from the left. Vishnu, full of confidence, launched into an overhead kick, guiding the ball into the net for his second of the night. It was the kind of finish that underlined the gulf between the ISL champion and a side already battered twice this season.

At 4–0, Habas began to rotate. On 59 minutes, he sent on Bipin Singh and Rohit Kumar for Dani and Rashid, testing his bench while maintaining the onslaught. The tempo dipped briefly, the game stretching as CISF legs and lungs faded, but the scoreline still had a long way to go.

East Bengal toyed with their opponents. Hardik went close from range. Lalchungnunga smashed a shot against the post after Raj’s touch. Jesin had an effort saved. Edmund rattled the woodwork. Every attack felt like a rehearsal for the next goal.

It arrived on 64 minutes. A swift counter sliced through CISF’s scattered shape, a cross from the right finding Bipin at the far post. The winger took his chance calmly, tucking the ball home for 5–0.

Jesin Joins the Party, Vishnu Completes His Treble

By the 70th minute, the contest resembled a training drill. CISF heads dropped, shoulders slumped, and East Bengal’s forwards queued up.

Jesin, who had been snatching at chances all evening, finally found his moment. Released by a through ball down the right, he drove into the box and beat Raj with a low, precise finish to make it 6–0. The relief on his part was obvious; the scoreline, brutal.

The pressure didn’t relent. In the 76th minute, Jesin struck again, beating Raj once more to pile on the misery. Two minutes later, Bipin turned provider, whipping in a cross that Vishnu met to complete his hat-trick and push the score to 8–0. CISF’s defence, so stubborn early on, now looked shattered.

As the second-half hydration break came and went, CISF players walked with their chins on their chests. The morale was on the floor; the only question left was whether East Bengal would chase down the tournament’s biggest winning margin, a 9–1 result from 2016 when Dempo SC beat Real Kashmir.

They came close. They did not need it.

Records, Relief, and the Road Ahead

When referee Jehrul Islam blew for full-time, CISF’s ordeal ended at 8–0. For East Bengal, it was a cathartic evening: first Durand Cup goals of the campaign, a performance that matched their ISL champion status, and a victory margin that stands level with the competition’s most lopsided scorelines.

The win lifts East Bengal to second in Group A, behind Mohun Bagan Super Giant on head-to-head but above South United, with one group game left against South United. Only the group winner is guaranteed a knockout spot; second place depends on other results.

For CISF Protectors, the outlook is grim. Three heavy defeats, a goal difference in ruins, and Mohun Bagan SG still to come. The prospect of facing another Kolkata giant after this kind of punishment borders on cruel.

For East Bengal, though, the night belonged to Vishnu’s hat-trick, Jesin’s brace, and a team that turned derby disappointment into a ruthless statement.

The question now is simple: was this just a response, or the start of another surge from the champions as the season gathers pace?