East Bengal 8–0 CISF Protectors: Vishnu's Hat-Trick Dominates Durand Cup

The Kishore Bharati Krirangan has seen its share of noise and nostalgia. On Friday night, it witnessed something else: a demolition.

East Bengal, still smarting from a derby defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant, tore into CISF Protectors with a ruthless 8–0 win in their Durand Cup 2026 Group A clash in Kolkata. It was one of the biggest victories in the history of the tournament, and it felt every bit that way from the first whistle to the last.

From derby hangover to Durand statement

This was supposed to be a test of character. The Indian Super League champion had stumbled at the first hurdle of the new season, beaten 1–0 by its fiercest rival. Questions circled: was the title-winning edge blunted, had the summer changes unsettled the side?

Within minutes, those doubts started to dissolve.

East Bengal flew out of the blocks, pinning CISF Protectors deep, the white shirts swarming around every loose ball. Hardik’s early cross, Edmund’s direct running, Vishnu’s sharp movement – the pattern was clear. CISF, set up in a deep, disciplined low block, could only hope to survive the first wave.

They almost didn’t.

In the fourth minute, Edmund swung in a cross and Vishnu went airborne, catching it sweetly with an acrobatic attempt. The ball crashed off the post, a warning that the CISF back line couldn’t afford even a moment’s lapse. It was the first escape. It would not be the last.

Goalkeeper Raj Mathur did everything he could to keep the scoreline respectable. He clawed away a long-range effort from Vishnu, pushed out a free-kick from Dani Ramirez, and came through a flurry of crosses and shots as East Bengal camped in the final third. For a while, his resistance and a packed defence held.

Then the dam burst.

Vishnu lights the fuse

The breakthrough came in the 38th minute, and it was worth the wait. Edmund drove into the box and cut the ball back with precision. Vishnu, positioned cleverly in front of goal, produced a deft back-heel finish that slipped past Raj and finally rewarded East Bengal’s dominance.

The roar from the stands told its own story. The ISL champion had its first goal of this Durand Cup campaign. It wanted more.

CISF, already under siege, began to tire. East Bengal’s press suffocated any attempt to build from the back, and the midfield pairing of Jeakson Singh and Rashid snapped up second balls with ease. The Protectors’ rare forays forward – usually through Jatinder or Jacob – fizzled out against a backline led calmly by Anwar Ali and Lalchungnunga, with new signing Phurba Lachenpa largely untroubled in goal.

On the stroke of half-time, the pressure told again. Deep into added time, Dani Ramirez drew both Raj and defender MD Khalid towards him, then slipped a simple pass to the unmarked Jeakson. The India midfielder tapped into an empty net for 3–0, after an earlier own goal had already widened the gap.

By the break, East Bengal was cruising, three goals clear and barely out of third gear.

Overhead kick and a hat-trick

If CISF hoped the interval would cool East Bengal’s intensity, that hope vanished within minutes of the restart.

In the 47th minute, left-back Sandip Mandi whipped in a cross from the left. Vishnu met it with an audacious overhead kick, steering the ball past Raj. It was a finish dripping with confidence, and it gave him his second of the night. The scoreline swelled; the contest did not.

From there, the match turned into an exhibition of attacking intent. Hardik tried his luck from distance and whistled a shot just wide. East Bengal began to stretch the pitch, switching play quickly, dragging CISF’s tiring defenders from side to side. The Protectors’ low block, so rigid in the opening quarter, now looked ragged.

Coach Antonio Habas dipped into his bench just before the hour mark, sending on Bipin Singh and Rohit Kumar for Dani and Rashid. The changes only sharpened the edge.

Bipin, operating from wide areas, immediately added pace and directness. On 64 minutes, another swift counter ripped through CISF. A cross from the right found Bipin in space and he calmly tucked his finish into the net for 5–0. East Bengal was no longer just winning; it was chasing history.

The woodwork denied them more. Lalchungnunga saw a shot deflect onto the post after Raj’s touch, Jesin had an effort saved, and Edmund struck the frame of the goal in a wild, breathless spell around the 66th minute. CISF’s heads dropped, their shape disintegrated. The only question left was how big the margin would become.

Jesin joins the party

For much of the night, Jesin TK had done the hard running without reward. He pressed from the front, linked play, and drifted wide to create space for Vishnu and Edmund. The goal seemed to be evading him.

At 70 minutes, that changed.

Released by a through ball down the right, Jesin shrugged off the last defender, bore down on Raj and drilled a low shot into the net. East Bengal had its sixth, Jesin finally had his goal, and CISF had no answer.

The final stages turned cruel for the Protectors. Bodies tired, minds dulled, they struggled even to clear their lines. After the second hydration break, their morale looked shattered, players trudging back into position as East Bengal poured forward again.

On 76 minutes, the scoreboard began to resemble a training exercise. First, Jesin beat Raj again to add his second of the night. Two minutes later, Bipin swung in a cross and Vishnu, alive to every loose ball, guided it home for his hat-trick and East Bengal’s eighth.

Eight goals, three for Vishnu, two for Jesin, one each for Jeakson and Bipin, plus an own goal. A complete dismantling.

Records, repercussions, and what comes next

By the 81st minute, East Bengal’s players knew they were flirting with history. The margin had drawn level with the biggest recorded in the modern era of the competition – a 9–1 win for Dempo SC over Real Kashmir in 2016 – in terms of goal difference, even if the final tally fell one short in total goals scored.

The home side kept pushing, hungry for more, but the finishing touch deserted them in the closing minutes. A late corner, taken by Bipin, sailed onto an East Bengal head and drifted wide. It didn’t matter. The damage had long been done.

When referee Jehrul Islam blew for full-time, CISF Protectors had endured 90 punishing minutes without a single reply. Their tournament hopes now hang by the thinnest of threads, with Mohun Bagan SG – another Kolkata giant – waiting in their final group match.

For East Bengal, the picture looks very different.

The win does not take it top of the group; the earlier loss to Mohun Bagan SG keeps it second on head-to-head. But it does lift the ISL champion above South United into second place and, more importantly, restores belief and swagger after that opening stumble.

With one group game left against South United, East Bengal has turned a do-or-die scenario into a platform. The goals have finally arrived. The attack has clicked. The bench has delivered.

Now comes the real test: can this ruthless, free-scoring version of East Bengal carry the same edge into the matches that will define its season?