Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Highlights Durand Cup Final: NEUFC crowned back-to-back champs after 6-1 demolition

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: What a scoreline, what an emphatic ending to this match! DHFC have fallen apart in the closing stages, just couldn't keep up with the intensity, and a late penalty allows NEUFC's talisman to get on the scoresheet.

For the first time in 34 years, the Durand Cup has a champion successfully defend their title! Congratulations to NorthEast United FC!

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Piling on! Same combination that has worked all game, space down the left, easy find at the back post. Andy slides and nudges it past the goalie, it's 5-1.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Emphatic! Wide free kick swung in, keeper comes but never gets there, and it's all too easy. The NEUFC players are off running, they know the cup is about to be their's again!

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: 3-1! Little bit of pinball from the corner but it manages to bounce in somehow. Still 20 mins to go, is this a little too little too late or can they mount something special?

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: They've been excellent either side of the half-time break, and the attacking players earn a reprieve after setting the Highlanders well on their way. Chema and Parthib make way, about 25 minutes left to play.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: That should be game! It's too simple, Alaaeddine springs free with too much space on the left, and can play a simple ball across the face of goal. Thoi crashing in towards the back post and can tap it in simply to make it 3-0. The defending champs should, SHOULD, make it back-to-back.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Second 45 begins here. DHFC needs to find their intensity again to dominate the ball, because the ISL unit has grown into it.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Right before the half-time whistle, and it's a beautiful goal! That's too much space for Parthib on the left wing as the ball breaks his way, and he can run at the defence and shape to take the shot. It's a beautiful shot, powerful and accurate from the left side of the box, curls quickly past the goalkeeper and into the corner.

NEUFC making the quality make the difference here today, and right before the ref blows for half-time, it's 2-0. NEUFC one half away!

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: That has to go in! Ajaraie does so well to manufacture space on the left of the box and flash it across to Chema free on the right wing. All the time in the world, dribbles past the charging goalkeeper, and with the goal in front of him and only a defender on the line, his weak-footed shot somehow slices high and wide. He HAS to hit the target! Should have been 2.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: The goal came in the wake of too many bodies in the box and DHFC just not able to get it to break to clear, and at the moment, NEUFC's threat coming from such moments. Another sharp shot at the keeper, who palms it away well, but it's straight to the winger. Thankfully, a body in the way this time to put him off and force the follow-up shot wide.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: GOALLLLLL for NEUFC against the run of play! It's Asheer from close range! The Highlanders' first real chance of the game is turned away by the goalkeeper well, but the next corner isn't cleared well by DHFC. Another shot is fired in, and the keeper can only parry it right into Asheer's path, who has a simple tap-in, and he's just on-side!

DHFC setback, they have been playing really well, but just a little weak at the back from the set-piece.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: DHFC really growing into it now! Dangerous ball whipped in from the left, the winger gets ahead of his defender and gets solid contact on it. Goalie Gurmeet has to get down well to palm it away.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: DHFC will want these dead balls to be their main source of threat, but not if the delivery is like that. Right side of the box, decent distance, and it just balloons over the bar harmlessly. A waste.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Half of a half-chance for Diamond Harbour, from a long throw-in! Causes a touch of chaos in the box, and the flick-on in the box needs to be cleared sharply.

Redeem, the right-back for NEUFC, earns the first yellow card of the match.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Both teams feeling each other out just a bit, not really generating any open looks early. To be expected, given how solid both defensive units have been.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Good stretch of possession from Diamond Harbour early on here, not shying away from the challenge and ready to take on the game.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Here it goes in the final! NEUFC go left-to-right to start, and the debutants right to left. Who will have the momentum early?

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Here we go then! The teams line up and we are nearly ready to go. NEUFC playing in white kits, DHFC in their dark navy blues.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Counting down the minutes to when the match is set to start, and a brief show on the sidelines for the fans in attendance. Strong reporting from both sets of fans, tifos on displays and the songs having begun. Nearly at the start!

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: NEUFC have gone perfect through the first portion of their tournament, seeing off Bodoland 4-0 in the quarters and Shilling Lajong in a tight 1-0 contest thereafter. The in-form and momentum-filled DHFC is their toughest competition yet, which will keep the highlanders on their toes: are they sharp enough to deal with the energy of their opponents, who will have some measure of home advantage?

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Despite this being the first time in this competition for Diamond Harbour, the newaly-promoted I-League 2 champions have stood fast and gone toe-to-toe with the top division teams they have come across. Yes, they did suffer a beating at the hands of Mohun Bagan in the group stages, but their bounce back in the knockouts was commendable.

First came a clean-sheet and a 2-0 win against Jamshedpur, followed by an impressive 2-1 victory over East Bengal in the semifinal. Their match against the Red and Gold was particularly impressive, dogged at the back but dangerous going up the pitch, ending with an 87th minute winner.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: The starting XI for Diamond Harbour FC! Majcen starts and leads the line, Jobby Justin who scored the 87th minute winner vs East Bengal captains. Mirshad Michu, goalkeeper player of the match from the semi, keeps his spot in net.

Mirshad (GK), Kortazar, Mandi, Ruatkima; Renthlei, Paul, Ajith; Justin (C), Samuel, Girik, Majcen

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: Here are the lineups! Northeast United led by Michel Zabaco, star man Ajaraie on the left wing.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: It's a different story for Diamond Harbour, who have the experiences of 2019 champs Gokulam Kerala and 2021 champs FC Goa on their side. Both teams won the trophy in their first year in this competition, so it's not unheard of — and it's difficult to say the momentum isn't with the nothing-to-lose Harbour Boys.

Northeast United vs Diamond Harbour Live Updates Durand Cup Final: No team has successfully won back-to-back Durand Cups since East Bengal managed the feat in 1989, 1990 and 1991, a stretch which was full of dominance. This could be a historic feat from the Highlanders, a first in the ISL era. Can they back up their success?