Chaos reigns in Kolkata Derby: Petratos, Lalchungnunga headbutt triggers mass brawl as referee forced to intervene

Kolkata came to a standstill on Sunday as East Bengal took on Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup quarterfinals at the Salt Lake Stadium. It was a fiery clash, with East Bengal ultimately emerging victorious in a 2-1 win. The match lived up to its billing as fans saw full-bloodied challenges, refereeing controversies and end-to-end action. Both Lalchungnunga and Petratos also received yellow cards for their involvement

The first half saw East Bengal’s new acquisition, Hamid Ahadad, get injured in the 18th minute, as he limped off. He was replaced by Dimitrios Diamantakos, who proved to be the match-winner.

Also Read: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Highlights

The 32-year-old converted a first-half penalty in the 38th minute, and then doubled his side’s lead seven minutes into the second half. Now, East Bengal will face Diamond Harbour in the semifinals.

Massive brawl breaks out in dying stages

The final stages of the match, during added time, saw tempers flare as Dimitri Petratos and Lalchungnunga were involved in a scuffle. The pair headbutted each other after East Bengal’s Saul Crespo was brought down. Players from both sides were involved in the scuffle as the referee had to intervene. Both Lalchungnunga and Petratos also received yellow cards for their involvement.

The match saw some controversy in the 26th minute when East Bengal thought they scored from a quickly taken free-kick, only for the referee to call it back. Then moments later, Diamantakos thought he scored, but it was flagged offside. Then, an appeal for a penalty when Edmund Lalrindika was brought down was rejected by the referee.

East Bengal were in total control throughout the match and were dominant in midfield. In the second half, Diamantakos showed his poacher’s instinct as he received a pass with his back to goal, spinning sharply, and completing his brace, as he shot past Vishal Kaith with the help of a deflection.

Meanwhile, Anirudh Thapa scored the consolation goal for Bagan, as his stunning long-range effort from distance found the back of the net.

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