Kolkata, Aug. 1 -- East Bengal FC produced a ruthless attacking display to register a thumping 8-0 victory over CISF Protectors in their Group A fixture of the 135th Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan on Friday.

The Red and Gold Brigade raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time and showed no signs of slowing after the break, adding five more goals in a dominant second-half performance to secure all three points. Vishnu P.V. starred with a hat-trick, Jesin T.K. struck twice, Jeakson Singh also found the scoresheet, while CISF Protectors captain Mohammad Khalid scored an own goal as East Bengal bounced back in emphatic fashion from the derby loss.

Ahead of the Group A encounter, both coaches made several changes to their starting li...