East Bengal kept their hopes of reaching the Durand Cup 2026 quarterfinals alive with a commanding 5-0 victory over South United. Their impressive goal difference of +12 currently puts them at the top of the ranking for the best second-placed teams. How can East Bengal qualify for the quarterfinals? Their route is through the best second-placed teams category, where they currently sit at the top with six points and a superior goal difference. Only the best second-placed teams across the groups will advance to the quarterfinals, meaning East Bengal now have to wait for the remaining group matches to be completed.