Rahul Giri in Kolkata
East Bengal FC made a resounding start to their 2025-26 campaign with a commanding 5–0 victory over Bengaluru-based South United FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday. The revamped squad gave fans a glimpse of what lies ahead, with four debutants impressing on the night. Notably, new signing Bipin Singh marked his debut in the iconic red-and-gold with a splendid goal.
The evening began with a grand opening ceremony featuring a blend of traditional, cultural performances, including Baul music, a Khukri demonstration, and martial arts displays. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with several other dignitaries, was in attendance to inaugurate the season in style.
Despite the 5:30 PM kick-off — a slightly inconvenient time for office-goers in Kolkata — a decent crowd turned up, fuelled by high expectations and excitement surrounding the club’s new-look squad under coach Oscar Bruzon.
Debutants Shine Bright
East Bengal handed debuts to Edmund Lalrindika, Mohammad Rashid, Martand Raina, and Bipin. Lalrindika looked lively on the flanks, consistently troubling South United defenders with his pace and dribbling. Rashid, despite having trained only three times since arriving in the city, showed remarkable composure and control in midfield. Defender Raina had a relatively quiet evening, as the opposition failed to mount any significant attacking threat.
Bipin, who came on in the second half, made an instant impact. In the 79th minute, he latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Dimitrios Diamantakos and curled a beautiful shot past goalkeeper Nishanth N to score East Bengal’s fifth.
Total Domination
East Bengal controlled the game from the outset, dominating possession and rarely allowing South United — a side that plays in the Bengaluru First Division — into their half. The hosts struck the crossbar thrice and maintained relentless pressure throughout the match.
The opening goal came in the 12th minute when Lalchungnunga fired a rebound into the top corner after a South United defender had headed away a cross from Mohammad Rakip.
In the 37th minute, Lalrindika was brought down inside the box while attempting a shot, earning a penalty. Spaniard Saul Crespo stepped up and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner, doubling the lead.
Finishing Strong
As the game wore on, East Bengal’s intensity did not drop. In the final stages, Diamantakos, who came off the bench, scored from a stunning free-kick just outside the box. Soon after, Mahesh Naorem put the icing on the cake with a jaw-dropping finish — curling the ball into the net from outside the box after a short corner routine.
The 5–0 win sets the tone for what is expected to be a pivotal season for East Bengal. While early signs are promising, tougher tests await, especially in the latter stages of the competition. In the group stage, upcoming matches against Namdhari FC (August 6) and Indian Air Force (August 10) will help further assess the team’s readiness.
The bigger picture, however, remains the elusive silverware that has long evaded the Kolkata giants. On Tuesday, the fans were shown a promising trailer — time will tell whether this revamped East Bengal squad, under Bruzon, can deliver the full feature.
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