Cleiton Silva’s brace helped East Bengal dominate its rival to secure a comfortable 3-1 win and extend its unbeaten streak.
Cleiton Silva led from the front as East Bengal secured its alternate derby palm of the season againstarch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant in a Group A match and stormed into the semifinals of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium Main Pitch in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
East Bengal will face Jamshedpur FC in the semifinals.
East Bengal captain Silva hit a brace, while Nandhakumar Sekar, too got his name on the scoresheet. Hector Yuste had given Mohun Bagan the lead beforehand in the first half.
East Bengal therefore achieved palms in all three of its group matches, leading it to finish at the top of its group with nine points. Bagan had to settle for the alternate spot with six points, including two triumphs and a loss in its three matches.
Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan started the match on six points each and participated an identical thing difference of 2. still, East Bengal held a slight edge in the standings as it scored more pretensions than Mohun Bagan.
With the group winners making it to the semifinals, Bagan entered the match with a clear ideal a palm was essential to advance to the knockout stage. This understanding was apparent from the onset, as it incontinently espoused an aggressive station following the first whoosh by adjudicator Venkatesh R.
Bagan’s forwards laboriously sought to access the East Bengal defence, employing smart passes and through balls in its attempt to produce scoring openings. It also utilised the full range of the pitch, aiming to stretch East Bengal’s defence and produce spaces for attacking plays.
This led to a series of attacks and a significant number of set- pieces in the first 20 twinkles. This pressure ultimately redounded in a advance in the 19th nanosecond.
Dimitros Petratos delivered a well- executed low corner kick, and Hector Yuste showcased his skill by fluttering the ball in at the near post to score.
Despite conceding the thing, East Bengal didn’t lose its spirit. rather, it responded in style. After a Souvik Chakraborty attempt struck the crosspiece in the 21st nanosecond, East Bengal’s sweats were awarded in the 24th nanosecond when it equalised.
The thing began from a gamble by Mohamad Rakip, which redounded in a chaotic situation outside the Bagan penalty box. Seizing a loose ball, Silva fired a robust strike that successfully bypassed the reach of Bagan goalkeeper Arsh Anwer Shaikh and nestled into the net.
With the score tied at 1- 1, both brigades engaged in a tight contest. The first half concluded with a dramatic moment when Bagan was awarded a penalty after a shot from its winger, Kiyan Nassiri, struck the hand of Hijazi Maher inside the East Bengal box.
Dimitrios Petratos took the responsibility to take the spot kick and scored, but his thing was chalked off because his teammates Hugo Boumous and Raj Basfore had wormed into the box too soon. Faced with the pressure of a regain, Petratos stepped up formerly again. still, this time, he was unfit to replicate his earlier success. His shot struck the woodwork, squandering a pivotal occasion to put Bagan ahead.
Bagan made a many changes in the alternate half, but its backups failed to make an print.
East Bengal trainer Carles Cuadrat, on the other hand, made a brilliant strategic move by planting Chakraborty as Hugo Boumous’s marker. Chakraborty played a great match, as he didn’t give the playmaker important space to manoeuvre.
The Red and Gold squad also seized the openings coming their way and took the lead in the 63rd nanosecond. Bagan protector Shiv Rana was languorous on the ball, and East Bengal’s Borja Gonzalez chased him down to catch it down. The Spaniard hit a curler past the Bagan keeper, but his shot hit the goalpost. Nandhakumar was near to niche home from the answer.
East Bengal doubled its lead in the 80th nanosecond.
A cross came in towards Hijazi who had got in a good position inside the Mohun Bagan box. He won the title, but the trouble was straight at Arsh. Arsh held on to the ball originally but ended up discovering it, and Cleiton was there to capitalise on the mistake and bury the ball inside the net for his brace. Know More Latest Football News…
