NorthEast United vs Diamond Harbour FC Prediction

NorthEast United vs Diamond Harbour FC Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups & Team News | Durand Cup

Manav Chowdhury

Published - Aug 22, 2025, 06:41 AM

6 min

NorthEast United vs Diamond Harbour FC Prediction

Summary

Both teams have never faced each other in a competitive fixture before, and it will be the first time they lock horns.
Jithin MS will be a big threat to the Kolkata-based team, Diamond Harbour.
This is the first time NorthEast United has reached the finals of the Durand Cup in back-to-back seasons.

NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC Preview

Competition: Durand Cup
Date: Saturday, 23 August
Kick-Off Time: 12:00 PM GMT
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan

We have reached the final stage of the 134th edition of the prestigious Durand Cup, as NorthEast United FC from the ISL will take on the newly promoted I-League outfit Diamond Harbour FC. The Highlanders have reached the final of this competition for the second time, and they are the defending champions of it and will look to win it back-to-back. Here's Sportsdunia's NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC Preview.

Juan Pedro Benali's Highlanders reached the finals of the Durand Cup, and they are undefeated till now in this competition, and will aim to win it in a dominating fashion. They defeated Shillong Lajong by 1-0 in the semi-finals and now will travel to Kolkata to face Diamond Harbour FC. The NorthEast United FC management has done a brilliant job as they prepared very well for this competition, and they fully deserved to be the finalists of this competition. They have maintained most of their squad and brought in some quality players this season. The Highlanders are the clear favourites to win this edition's Durand Cup.

Nobody would have thought that a newly promoted I-League team would reach the final of this competition. Especially when there were two Kolkata giants taking part in this competition. They shocked the Indian Football community when they beat the Red & Gold Brigade by 2-1 in the semi-finals, and they did so against all odds. They showed brilliant resilience, as they performed really well defensively, and it was a whole team performance. Credit must go to Kibu Vicuna, his staff and the players who did well to create history. Diamond Harbour FC can once again upset an ISL side and now will hope to get their hands on the trophy by defeating the defending champions. This will be a mouthwatering clash for sure.

NorthEast United FC Team News

Juan Pedro Benali, head coach of NorthEast United (Image Credit: Official X account of kbfcxtra)

The Highlanders, for the first time in their history, have reached back-to-back finals of the Durand Cup, and they are undefeated in this competition till now. All the players are fit to play, and none of the players are suspended for the match.

Diamond Harbour FC Team News

Kibu Vicuna's men played the Durand Cup for the first time, and in their first appearance only they made it to the finals. They will also go into this game without any fresh injury concerns, and all the players are fit to play.

NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC Predicted Lineups

NorthEast United FC Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Gurmeet

Defenders: Redeem, Zabaco, Asheer, Samte

Midfielders: Maya, Chema, Andy

Forwards: Jithin, Rinzuala, Ajaraie

Diamond Harbour FC Predicted Lineup (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Mirshad

Defenders: Ajith Kumar, Ruatkima, Kortazar, Mandi

Midfielders: Paul, Liansanga, Samuel

Forwards: Justin, Majcen, Hali Charan

NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC Head-to-Head Record

This will be the first time both teams will face each other in a competitive fixture.

Key Players to Watch in NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC

Alaaeddine Ajaraie (NorthEast United FC)

The Moroccan has been consistently performing well for the Highlanders, and in India, most probably, he is the most consistent player right now. He will win the Golden Boot of this season's Durand Cup for sure. Overall, under the leadership and guidance of Juan Pedro Benali, he has performed exceptionally well, and he is loved and adored by the fans. Despite being short in stature, he is fast, agile and quick on the ball. The opposition team will have to make a proper plan to stop his effectiveness in the game and stop him from scoring goals. Ajaraie hopes to win yet another Durand Cup with the Highlanders.

Luka Majcen (Diamond Harbour FC)

Majcen showed his hard work on the pitch last game, as he was always the first man to press high on the pitch against East Bengal FC. He didn't score in the match, but did the defensive work quite well on the pitch and helped his teammates. Majcen will have to do a similar role in the final as well, where he will have to focus on team performance and, at the same time, be ready to score goals. His experience has helped the team immensely in this tournament, and he now has a great chance to win the Durand Cup with Diamond Harbour FC.

NorthEast United FC vs Diamond Harbour FC Prediction

An ISL team will lock horns against an I-League team in the final of the Durand Cup, and surely it will be an exciting clash. The Highlanders are the away team, and Diamond Harbour FC will play at home, and fans will be supporting them in huge numbers for sure. We can expect a high-intensity and thrilling match in the final, and most probably, the Highlanders will narrowly win the match.