Rahul Giri from Bhubaneswar
Kerala Blasters got their Super Cup 2025 campaign off to a flying start with a convincing 2-0 victory over East Bengal in the tournament opener. David Catala’s men booked their place in the quarterfinals, where they will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who were given a bye in the first round.
From the very beginning, it was clear that the Blasters had come with a game plan. They could have taken the lead in the second minute, when a long ball from the back found Noah Sadaoui in space. The Moroccan winger showed great awareness to cut the ball back into the path of Jesus Jimenez, who shockingly failed to tap it into an open net — a sitter missed that stunned the Blasters bench.
The pressure, however, didn’t let up. In the eighth minute, East Bengal’s Richard Celis tried to respond with a long-range effort that narrowly missed the far post, with Kerala goalkeeper Sachin Suresh at full stretch and relieved to see it go wide.
Despite some moments of promise for East Bengal, the Blasters looked more threatening. Before the break, Noah again turned the provider with a dazzling run down the right, delivering a precise low cross to Jesus, who had only the goalkeeper to beat but squandered yet another glorious opportunity.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 38th minute after a moment of madness from East Bengal defender Anwar Ali, who tripped Noah inside the penalty box. The referee didn’t hesitate and pointed to the spot.
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Jesus stepped up but failed to convert initially, only for the referee to order a retake due to East Bengal custodian Prabhsukhan Gill coming off his line early. The Brazilian made no mistake the second time, coolly slotting home to give Blasters a deserved 1-0 lead. The bench and fans erupted in unison as the Blasters took the lead going into half-time.
Oscar Bruzon’s East Bengal made two changes after the break, introducing Saul Crespo and Nishu Kumar in a bid to wrest control of the midfield. However, the Kerala side’s grip on the game remained firm, leaving East Bengal frustrated and toothless in attack.
In the 64th minute, Noah turned scorer to cap off a sensational individual performance. Picking the ball just outside the box, he let fly a thunderous shot that left Gill with no chance, sealing the win and his team’s place in the last eight.
With this commanding win, Catala’s side not only announced their intent but also set up a mouth-watering clash against Mohun Bagan in the quarterfinals.
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