East Bengal FC triumphed 3-1 over Mohammedan SC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in the Indian Super League 2024-25 season. Despite holding only 42.2% possession, they were highly efficient in front of goal, scoring three out of six shots on target. With this win, East Bengal now has 21 points from 20 games and sits in 11th place on the table.

Early Misses

The match began with an early opportunity for East Bengal. In the 5th minute, Vishnu Puthiya received a pass from Raphael Messi Bouli but missed the target by shooting high and wide.

On the other hand, Mohammedan SC responded quickly. In the 8th minute, Franca linked up with Joe Zoherliana and got the ball in a promising position. However, his shot sailed just past the left post.

East Bengal Takes the Lead

East Bengal eventually broke the deadlock in the 27th minute. Vishnu made an excellent pass to Naorem Mahesh Singh, who was positioned at a tough angle on the left side. Despite the challenge, Mahesh calmly finished into the bottom left corner with his left foot. This goal gave East Bengal a 1-0 lead.

Second Half Action

In the second half, Mohammedan SC came out with more intent. Early in the 46th minute, Marc Schmerbock delivered an accurate cross to Franca, but his shot was blocked by East Bengal’s defense, which quickly regained shape.

Substitution Pays Off

In the 61st minute, East Bengal made a tactical change, bringing on Saul Crespo for Nandhakumar Sekar. This substitution paid off almost immediately. Four minutes later, Messi Bouli found Crespo in space inside the box. Crespo made no mistake, drilling the ball into the bottom left corner with his right foot to extend East Bengal’s lead to 2-0.

Mohammedan SC Responds

However, Mohammedan SC did not back down. After going 2-0 down, they quickly mounted a counter-attack. In the 68th minute, Robi Hansda passed to Franca, who finished neatly into the bottom right corner, pulling one goal back for Mohammedan SC.

East Bengal Seals the Win

East Bengal quickly regained control, and in the dying moments of the match, they secured their third goal. Provat Lakra made a timely assist to David Lalhlansanga, who controlled the ball in the center of the box and calmly slotted it into the bottom left corner. This goal rounded off a comfortable 3-1 victory for East Bengal.

Key Performer

Naorem Mahesh Singh was one of the standout players of the match. He completed 29 out of 36 passes, made two tackles, created three goal-scoring chances, and scored a goal himself.

Next Fixtures

Looking ahead, East Bengal FC will play Punjab FC on February 22, while Mohammedan SC will face Jamshedpur FC on February 20.