East Bengal survived penalties to advance to the Durand Cup 2026 final as the Kolkata giants beat SC Delhi 5-3 in penalties on Wednesday (August 19).

After a goalless 90 minutes, the tie-breaker saw Prabhsukhan Gill save a crucial kick as the Torch Bearers progressed to the final for the first time in three years.

East Bengal vs SC Delhi – As It Happened

East Bengal started on the front foot in the semifinal. In the 15th minute of the game, Mohammed Rashid’s free kick struck the upright, while Jesin TK’s similar effort minutes later had the same outcome. SC Delhi were lucky to be on level terms as Boris had earlier missed a similar opportunity to give the Red and Gold Brigade the lead.

In the 33rd minute of the match, Sandip Mandi fouled Rodriguinho as Delhi won a penalty. The Brazilian stepped up from the spot but Prabhsukhan Gill pulled off a terrific save to deny them from taking a lead. Both teams huffed and puffed, but neither could break the deadlock before the break.

In the second half, East Bengal threatened, but the final pass let them down several times. Delhi, on the other hand, made the Kolkata club sweat through counterattacks but were unable to work Gill. In the 74th minute, David Lalhlansanga was through on goal but failed to beat the keeper from close range, while Rashid hit the post prior to that. After going goal-less in 90 minutes, the semifinal went straight into penalties.

East Bengal vs SC Delhi Penalties

Anwar Ali converted the first penalty, but Sebastian Pena failed to score for Delhi as Gill made an impeccable save. Although Rodriguinho and Duvan Mina converted for Delhi, East Bengal continued to take the lead as both Lalchungnunga and Rohit Danu also scored.

Chris Ikonomidis converted his spot kick to keep East Bengal’s nose ahead, and then Mohammed Aimen kept his cool and converted the kick. It all came down to Mohammed Rashid, and he made no mistake to convert as East Bengal secured a 5-3 win in penalties.

With the victory, the Red and Gold Brigade have advanced to the Durand Cup final as they will play either Mohun Bagan or Northeast United on Sunday in Kolkata.