Goa, Oct. 5 -- East Bengal produced a stunning second-half performance to thrash NorthEast United 7-2 in the IFA Shield 2026 semifinal at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday, booking a final showdown against city rivals Mohun Bagan.

David Lalhlansanga was the star of the evening, completing a hat-trick as East Bengal overturned an early deficit and turned the contest into a one-sided affair. Chris Ikonomidis, Rohit Kumar, Alaaeddine Ajaraie and debutants Ake Loba and Lukasz Zwolinski also found the net as East Bengal powered into the final.

NorthEast United made a dream start when Ajaraie opened the scoring in just the second minute. A mistake from East Bengal defender Diego Zivulic allowed Ajaraie to race through and rou...