East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon.
| Photo Credit: Sportstar

East Bengal FC returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in an Indian Super League match on Friday. This was the Red and Gold brigade’s first victory in five games, having last won 1-0 against Jamshedpur FC on December 21. A brilliant first half strike from PV Vishnu saw the hosts take the lead at half-time, before Hijazi Maher extended the advantage in the second half. Danish Farooq brought the Kerala Blasters FC back into the game with a late goal but in the end, it was only a consolation. With this win, the Red and Golds have also snapped their three-game losing streak in the current campaign.

The visitors had the lion’s share of possession in the initial exchanges of the game whereas the Red and Golds waited for their opportunity to pounce on counter-attacks.

The Blasters were pretty one-dimensional with their reliance on Noah Sadaoui on the right flank and the hosts took advantage of this pattern.

The game’s first chance fell to Dimitrios Diamantakos in the 15th minute when Naorem Mahesh Singh recycled possession and initiated a counter-attack. He released Diamantakos in space but Sachin Suresh kept out the Greek forward’s effort on target.

Minutes later, Sachin was indecisive with a parry from Cleiton Silva’s direct freekick on goal. Richard Celis latched onto the stray ball but he didn’t have enough space to slot it home. With these attacks, the hosts were gradually gaining momentum.

Oscar Bruzon’s men were rewarded in the 20th minute when Cleiton found Vishnu with an exquisite long ball on the right flank.

The youngster zoomed past his marker before dinking the ball over Sachin, who came out of his lines. The ball trickled over the goal-line as Korou Singh failed to clear the danger.

After taking the lead, East Bengal FC were the better team as they created some good openings. They almost doubled the lead when Diamantakos squared the ball to Cleiton in the penalty area before the Brazilian forced Sachin to come up with a fantastic save.

The hosts almost had the second goal when Celis decided to pull the trigger from long range. However, his effort struck the post on its way out.

This was the first in nine games that East Bengal FC ended the first half with a lead in this competition. The last time they held a lead at the break was against NorthEast United FC in November.

Kerala Blasters FC looked like an improved side as they started the second half with great intent. Noah orchestrated most of their moves as they kept pushing for the equaliser.

In the 58th minute, Kwame Peprah was introduced to add more attacking impetus as Milos Drincic made way for him.

Noah almost found the equaliser for the visitors when he broke through the entire East Bengal FC backline.

However, Lalchungnunga blocked the Moroccan’s eventual effort. In the meantime, Lalthanmawia Renthlei walked into the field replacing Korou.

In the 72nd minute, the hosts secured the goal when Hijazi rose the highest from a corner delivered by Mahesh and headed it home. He was completely unmarked and made full use of the opportunity, scoring his second goal of the current campaign.

Riding on Jamie Maclaren’s record second-minute goal, Mohun Bagan Super Giant extended their dominance in the Kolkata derby with a 1-0 win over traditional rivals East Bengal FC in their Indian Super League match in Guwahati on Saturday. The match was moved to the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium after the Bidhannagar Police, under whose jurisdiction the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata falls, cited concerns over inadequate security because of the ongoing Gangasagar Mela. Jamie Maclaren scored the fastest goal of the Kolkata derby in ISL and it was enough for the reigning champions to see out their arch-rivals, while going eight points clear (35) at the top of the table, compared to the second-placed Bengaluru FC (27).

The Mariners have now won nine times and drawn once in their 10 derby clashes against East Bengal FC in the ISL.

The Mariners started the game strongly as Maclaren handed them the early lead in the second minute.

The East Bengal FC backline was caught off-guard as Asish Rai’s long ball found Maclaren in space. After receiving the ball, he lost his marker and slotted it past an onrushing Prabhsukhan Gill without any difficulty.

Around the sixth minute mark, it was East Bengal FC’s turn to attack and they did get two great opportunities to equalise through PV Vishnu and Cleiton Silva. But, both the players weren’t clinical enough as they saw their attempts get blocked.

In the 21st minute, the Mariners almost doubled their lead when Maclaren found Manvir Singh with a telling cross. However, the latter’s shot was straight at Gill with the entire goal found gaping.

East Bengal FC gained a lot of momentum as the first half came to a close with the likes of Jeakson Singh, Vishnu and Cleiton getting on the ball in the final third and creating problems for the Mohun Bagan Super Giant backline. However, they weren’t clinical enough to end the first half on level terms.

The second half was extremely cagey with the Mariners enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but they weren’t able to break down East Bengal FC’s resolute defence. Whereas, Oscar Bruzon’s men were looking to hit the Mariners with their gritty counter-attacks. But there weren’t many chances of note in the first quarter of the second half.

Things took a drastic turn in the 64th minute when Souvik Chakrabarti brought down Liston Colaco near the penalty area, only to receive his second yellow card followed by subsequent marching orders.

With one goal down, East Bengal FC were now chasing the game with 10 men. As a retaliation, Bruzon brought on Naorem Mahesh Singh in place of David Lalhlansanga with the hope of solidifying the midfield.

In the 75th minute, Jose Molina freshened things up as he replaced Jason Cummings with Greg Stewart. He almost made an immediate impact when he released Liston on the left flank, but his subsequent effort was blocked by Gill.

Just like in the first half, East Bengal FC were on the ascendancy for the final 10 minutes in the second half and therefore the likes of Dimitrios Petratos and Deepak Tangri came on late in the game with the hope of closing out the match.

The Red & Golds threw bodies forward in the last few minutes of the game but they lacked quality in the final third to break through the defence of the Mariners as they continued their near-perfect record in the fixture.

Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal LIVE Telecast, ISL 2024-25 LIVE Streaming© ISL

Mohun Bagan SG vs East Bengal FC Highlights, ISL 2024-25 Football© X/@mohunbagansg

Mumbai City FC (MCFC) has beaten East Bengal FC (EBFC) by 3-2 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25. Despite conceding 55% of the possession to East Bengal FC, the Islanders (MCFC) were more lethal in the final third, taking eight shots on target as opposed to the five of the home team, and moved up to fifth from the seventh spot in the standings. Mumbai City FC were offensively prolific in the first-half, recording 12 touches inside East Bengal FC’s box in the opening 45 minutes. Nikolaos Karelis’ thumping header from near the six-yard box was blocked on the goal-line after a well-coordinated corner move by the Islanders in the 28th minute. Tiri received the ball on the far post and headed it to Karelis, who tried to nod the ball home, but his shot couldn’t trouble the net, an ISL release said.

Eleven minutes later, the visitors pulled off another flawless sequence from the back, with their defensive unit initiating the attack. Brandon Fernandes picked the ball from Vikram Partap Singh at the centre from distance. Immediately, Brandon carved open the East Bengal FC defence with a slick through-ball intended for Lallianzuala Chhangte. The attacker took a fine touch, before he deposited it into the bottom left corner with a fierce right-footed shot to break the deadlock. EBFC 0 – 1 MCFC

They capitalised on this momentum, with Yoell van Nieff coming to the fore with a similar delivery that swung past the gaps in the East Bengal FC backline. This time around, the ball was directed to Karelis, who took an instant shot that was stopped by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. However, the striker latched on to the rebound, placing the ball into the bottom right corner in the 43rd minute to double their lead. EBFC 0 – 2 MCFC

The home side regained their attacking intensity as soon as the second essay of the game began though. They didn’t let the Islanders settle and dictate the offensive endeavours as was the case in the first half. Naorem Mahesh Singh put pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence with an industrious effort in the 66th minute down the left flank. The Petr Kratky-coached team fell short of clearing the ball out, which instead ended up landing at Dimitrios Diamantakos’ feet on the right post. The striker tried for a lateral pass from close range, but Mumbai City FC’s Sahil Panwar got in the way and struck the ball inside his own net, reducing the deficit for the Red & Gold Brigade. EBFC 1 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC started stretching the Islanders’ defence thereafter, going out wide, exploring spaces at the centre, and winning the occasional set-piece to put the opposition behind. In the 83rd minute, a corner kick led to the equaliser for the Kolkata-based side. The Islanders wore a disorganised look for a brief while and it was enough for the Oscar Bruzon-coached unit to pounce upon. By pushing sheer numbers ahead, they overwhelmed the Mumbai City FC backline in their own box. Hector Yuste showed his smarts by using his head to lay a ball on David Lalhlansanga’s path at the centre of the box, and the latter used his left foot to send the ball into the bottom left corner. EBFC 2 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s joy was short-lived though, as Mumbai City FC snatched the winner four minutes later, with Karelis bagging his brace. The Islanders had Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Nathan Rodrigues unlock the Red & Gold Brigade defence with a well-paced delivery down the centre of the box from the left flank. Hijazi Maher couldn’t intercept and thwart the threat, resulting in Karelis picking the ball swiftly and caressing it into the bottom left corner to secure all three points for his team. EBFC 2 – 3 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s next match will be the Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on January 11, whereas Mumbai City FC are set to feature against Jamshedpur FC on January 12.

Nikolaos Karelis’ early strike earned Mumbai City FC a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League here on Saturday before East Bengal FC triumphed over Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in Kolkata for their fourth win in last five games. With their victory, Mumbai City FC moved from the seventh place to the fourth spot in the points table, accumulating 20 points from 12 games with five victories. This match also marked the third straight away game where the Marina Machans were unable to find the back of the net.

At the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, marksman Dimitrios Diamantakos (60th minute) was the only player on target for the home side as they maintained their mid-season rise under their new tactician Oscar Bruzon.

While the Red & Golds secured their fourth win in their last five matches in the competition, Jamshedpur FC, on the other hand, were inefficient in creating and finishing chances.

Jamshedpur FC were the team on the ascendency in the first 10 minutes of the second half but they lacked the final ball in the box.

In the 54th minute, Albino was called into action as Hector Yuste rose the highest from a corner to head it towards goal. The Spaniard made a good connection but not enough to beat the Jamshedpur FC custodian.

But East Bengal’s continued pressure eventually bore fruit in the 60th minute when Dimitrios broke the deadlock from Nandhakumar’s cross. Cleiton also played a big role in the buildup as Jamshedpur FC defenders were stranded ball-watching.

Earlier in Mumbai, the first quarter of the match saw both teams exert pressure on their opponents with some intricate movement. The game’s first chance fell to the hosts as Cleiton Silva, who found himself in space from a corner, stabbed the ball from close range. However, he was denied by an outstretched Albino Gomes.

A minute later, the Red and Golds recycled possession and Anwar Ali saw his long-range effort rattle the post before going out, catching the entire Jamshedpur FC backline off-guard.

Karelis capitalised on a loose ball in the eighth minute after Yoell van Nieff’s shot was partially deflected, calmly slotting it into the bottom right corner.

Six minutes later, Karelis set up Vikram Partap Singh for a chance, but the latter’s effort went wide.

Just before the 20th minute mark, Lukas Brambilla tried to pull one back for the Marina Machans, interlinking with Kiyan Nassiri and receiving the ball on the left side of the 18-yard box.

Brambilla’s shot was saved by Mumbai City FC goalkeeper TP Rehenesh.

Chennaiyin FC once again came close to equalising in the 34th minute but Brambilla’s shot was blocked by Mumbai defender Tiri.

The visitors ramped up the pressure after the break, with Daniel Chima Chukwu and Irfan Yadwad combining to create chances.

Yadwad’s diving header hit the crossbar in the 48th minute, while Rehenesh made critical saves to deny the Marina Machans and seal full three points.

East Bengal SC mounted a stunning comeback victory, scoring four goals in 22 minutes in the second half to come from a two-goal deficit and secure a 4-2 victory against Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season which was played here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Asmir Suljic and Pulga Vidal’s goals gave Punjab a comfortable position after the end of the first half but goals from Hijazi Maher, P.V. Vishnu, David Hmar, and an own goal from Suresh Meitei completed the comeback for the home side. Punjab remain in fifth position with 18 points from 11 matches while East Bengal have 10 points from the same number of matches and are in 11th position in the table.

Ravi Kumar returned in goal for The Shers as Panagiotis Dilmperis made three changes to the starting eleven. Khaimingthang Lhungdim returned in the right-back position in place of Leon Augustine while Asmir Suljic started in midfield in place of the injured Filip Mrzljak. Oscar Bruzon with limited options in midfield started with Anwar Ali to protect the defense of Hector Yuste and Hijazi Maher. David Lalhlansanga led the attack line with Cleiton Silva, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Nandhakumar Sekar starting alongside him.

Both sides took their time to settle into the game and once the game opened up, it was Punjab who pinned East Bengal by dominating the middle of the pitch. Punjab used the long passes to good effect with Luka Majcen and Asmir Suljic always willing to run behind the high line of the Red and Gold Brigade defence. On the other end, David Hmar found the net with a neat finish from a free kick but was ruled out for offside.

The Shers took the lead in the 21st minute from a well-worked goal. Pulga Vidal obliged to the run of Asmir into the box and expertly found the Hungarian who took it on the volley and finished past Prabhsukhan Gill for his third goal of the season. Punjab grew in confidence as the game went on as they opened up the East Bengal defence with ease.

They could have doubled the advantage as Luka found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper but Prabhsukhan denied the Slovenian with an outstretched leg. The rebound fell on the path of Nihal but his attempt was blocked by Lalchungnunga. On the other end, Cleiton Silva created space for himself on the edge of the box, but the attempt was weak.

Pulga Vidal doubled the away side’s advantage with a splendid finish. He received the ball from a simple throw in and he completely floored Anwar Ali with a drop of a shoulder and in one turn drilled the ball past the goalkeeper into the far corner of the goal.

East Bengal mounted a stunning comeback and scored three goals within 22 minutes from the start of the second half. Hijazi Maher rose the highest to a Cleiton Silva free kick and planted his header in the goal past the outstretched hands of Ravi Kumar.

The second-half substitute then equalised within seven minutes. Suresh Meitei’s headed clearance fell on the path of Vishnu and the winger finished it past the on-rushing Ravi Kumar and Suresh on the line. East Bengal took the lead through an own goal six minutes later. Nandhakumar’s low cross from the right wing was deflected into his own goal by Suresh who got his feet tangled.

Things got worse for The Shers when Khaimingthing Lhungdim was sent off for his second yellow card offence. East Bengal took good use of the man advantage and scored a fourth through David Hmar. Vishnu P.V. was once again the provider as his curling cross was met by a diving David Hmar whose header found the bottom corner to send the Salt Lake Stadium into a frenzy.

The 10 men of Punjab FC tried to muster something in the remaining quarter of the match but could not create much as East Bengal managed the game well. Pulga Vidal missed a couple of chances to score one back but Prabhsukhan Gill closed the gap well and kept the score intact to secure their third win in four matches.

Punjab FC will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their next fixture on Boxing Day (December 26) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

— IANS

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On a high after a three-game unbeaten run, hosts East Bengal will hope to continue their momentum when they clash against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League here on Thursday. East Bengal registered two straight victories but the Juggernauts will present a tough challenge, having defeated the Kolkata-based side 2-1 earlier this season. The Juggernauts are placed fifth in the points table with 16 points from 11 matches. East Bengal FC have been on the rise of late, securing seven points from nine matches.

After enduring a difficult start with seven losses in their opening eight matches, the Red & Gold Brigade, under coach Oscar Bruzon, appear to have turned the tide and a win on Thursday would mark East Bengal FC’s first three-match winning streak in the ISL.

Defensive solidity has been key to their turnaround, with two consecutive clean sheets at home. The last time they achieved a longer streak was in December 2023, which included a goalless draw against Odisha FC.

Odisha, on the other hand, boast the league’s most efficient attack this season, having found the back of the net every 43 minutes this season. Their 23 strikes thus far are the most that they have managed after 11 games in any season.

Diego Mauricio and Mourtada Fall lead the charts after netting seven and four times respectively.

After conceding in six straight away games, Odisha’s backline held firm in their last away fixture, securing a stunning 6-0 win against Hyderabad FC.

In their nine matches so far, Odisha FC have emerged victorious seven times, whereas East Bengal FC have won only once.

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon acknowledged his team’s admirable run of form but maintained that they still have a long way to go to realise their ambitions for the season.

“The players are positive. We are not conceding too many chances. We are a team that is on a good run of results. But, we are still far off from where we want to be in the league table,” Bruzon said.

Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera, too, appreciated East Bengal FC for making some key improvements in the last few matches.

“East Bengal FC are a very competitive team. They’re working well, improving not just footballing wise but also in terms of their mental motivation. It will be a very difficult game,” Lobera said. PTI ATK AH AH

East Bengal FC registered their third consecutive clean sheet as they blanked Chennaiyin FC 2-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) match on Saturday. PV Vishnu (54th) and Jeakson Singh (84th) were on the scoresheet as East Bengal recorded their first victory away from home in the competition in this campaign. The loss meant that Chennaiyin FC are winless in their last four games of the ongoing season. Chennaiyin FC had the upper hand for most of the first half. They enjoyed the lion’s share of possession with Connor Shields playing a pivotal role in creating chances and stretching the East Bengal defence in wide areas.

Despite controlling play, the Marina Machans had nothing to show for as the visitors held their lines brilliantly and absorbed pressure. Although they failed to break the deadlock, Owen Coyle’s men quickly recycled possession after losing it. They also managed to isolate Dimitrios Diamantakos upfront, cutting him from any supplies from the midfield.

Shields and Daniel Chima Chukwu were at the end of a few openings but either the East Bengal backline or Prabhshukhan Singh Gill were in their way to the goal.

Chennaiyin FC’s best chance of the half came to Laldinpuia Pachuau when he leapt the highest from a Shields corner but his subsequent header lacked power and didn’t trouble Gill at all in goal.

While Chennaiyin FC failed to capitalise on their chances, they also made sure that they didn’t allow the visitors to create many openings in the first period.

Before this match, five out of eight meetings between these two teams were goalless at half-time and this one followed the same route.

The second half started with Chennaiyin FC continuing their dominance in possession. It was Farukh Chaudhury, who found himself in the mix of two chances but he wasn’t clinical enough to test Gill in goal.

In the 49th minute, Oscar Bruzon decided to replace Diamantakos with Cleiton Silva, providing more fluidity in attack for the Red and Gold Brigade.

In the 54th minute, the hosts were the ones to blink first as East Bengal broke the deadlock courtesy of a goal from Vishnu.

A brilliantly delivered dink ball from Naorem Mahesh Singh unleashed Saul Crespo in the penalty box before the Spaniard pulled the trigger. His initial shot was saved by Mohammed Nawaz but Vishnu reacted to the rebound before Laldinliana Renthlei and slotted it home.

In the 59th minute, Crespo was stretchered out of the ground after pulling his hamstring and was replaced by Jeakson Singh. Soon, Coyle also turned to his reinforcements by bringing in Wilmar Jordan Gil and Vincy Barretto to add more flair upfront.

The sustained pressure from the visitors paid off eventually when Jeakson doubled the lead in the 84th minute with a long-range stunner which nestled into the top left corner of the net.

With that goal, East Bengal FC secured their second win of the season whereas Chennaiyin FC remain winless at home in the ongoing season.