Nine-man East Bengal put up a brilliant fight against Mohammedan Sporting, as the Kolkata Derby ended in a goalless stalemate in the Indian Super League (ISL) at Salt Lake Stadium. Red cards for Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar Sekar left the red-and-gold brigade in a tough spot, with over 60 minutes remaining. However, Mohammedan Sporting’s inability to find the net left their fans frustrated with the final result.
Before the game, rumours circulated that Jeakson Singh might start in central defence alongside Anwar Ali, replacing Hijazi Maher. But East Bengal began with the centre-back pairing of Hijazi and Anwar. Riding the momentum from their AFC Challenge League campaign in Bhutan, East Bengal were expected to start positively.
Surprisingly, the Black Panthers began with more intensity, creating threatening attacks down the flanks. East Bengal slowly settled into the game, with Greek forward Dimitrios Diamantakos making fast runs through the middle, putting the rival defenders under pressure. Another standout was Mohammedan’s Bikash Singh, who impressed with his dribbling and fearlessness down the wing.
In the 22nd minute, Madih Talal struck a free-kick that Mohammedan Sporting goalkeeper Bhaskar Roy saved with a full-stretch dive. But Oscar Bruzon’s side faced a setback when they received two red cards within a minute.
In the 28th minute, Nandhakumar was shown a direct red card for swinging his arm at Amarjit Singh’s face. Frustrated by the decision, East Bengal’s Mahesh, who was already on a yellow card, kicked a water bottle in anger, leading the referee to give him a second yellow. East Bengal was reduced to nine men.
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For the rest of the first half, the Black Panthers were expected to capitalise on their numerical advantage, but top defending and blocks from Maher kept the score 0-0.
In the second half, Mohammedan Sporting coach Andrey Chernyshov substituted Amarjit and Alexis Gomez with K Lalrinfela and Cesar Manzoki. Despite being down to nine players, East Bengal continued to fight, defending as a unit. Players like Bikash and Manzoki had golden chances to score but could not capitalise.
East Bengal players gave their all, inspired by their fans who cheered them on. After being reduced to nine men, fans raised their voices, chanting and backing each player. Though the crowd showed their displeasure with the referee — bursting firecrackers at one point — several announcements were made to calm things down.
In the 72nd minute, Jeakson replaced Souvik Chakrabarty. Mohammedan Sporting continued to press but struggled to break through East Bengal’s defence. With five minutes left, Talal was replaced by Cleiton Silva, and fans applauded the French midfielder’s efforts.
Ultimately, the nine-man side held their ground, securing a hard-earned point after 10 minutes of extra time. Mohammedan Sporting’s players and fans were left frustrated, while the red-and-gold brigade celebrated opening their points tally in this year’s ISL with their loud fans.
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