Kolkata, March 5: East Bengal FC hosted the first leg of their AFC Challenge League quarter-final against Arkadag FK at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan tonight. Despite showcasing a hard-fought performance, they failed to secure a victory and ended up with a narrow 1-0 loss.
The visitors took an early lead before the first quarter, but throughout the match, East Bengal FC dominated possession. However, they failed to find the back of the net. Arkadag FK played a defensive game after taking the lead. East Bengal FC created numerous chances, but none were impactful enough to score, as Arkadag FK defended resolutely.
FIRST HALF SCENARIO
In the 10th minute, Gurbanov received the ball from the left wing and sent a grounder long-range, defense-splitting shot towards the net, putting Arkadag into the lead. In the next minute, Messi Bouli won a free kick on the left. From that long distance, Saul Crespo took the free kick, but it was off target.
Later, the match became one-sided as East Bengal FC showcased an attacking and possession-based style of play, while the visitors defended with everything they had. In the 45th minute, Arkadag FK got a chance from a counterattack. A floated cross came from the right for Gurbanov inside the six-yard box. He attempted a header, but Prabsukhan managed to save it.
SECOND HALF SCENARIO:
In the 48th minute, inside the right side of the box, Messi couldn’t make proper contact with the ball, allowing the Arkadag FK keeper to fist it out. However, the rebound fell to Celis, who attempted another shot but sent the ball directly into the keeper’s hands.
In the 71st minute, East Bengal FC created another effective goal-bound move. From the left, Saul Crespo attempted a shot, which Charyyev saved, but the ball fell to Crespo again. On his second attempt, the keeper managed to save it once more but couldn’t clear it. The rebound fell to Celis, who attempted a header from the edge of the six-yard box but sent the ball over the crossbar. This was their most open chance of the game.
In the dying moments of the match, in the 90+4th minute, Naorem Mahesh made a run from the right, cut past his marker, and sent a long cross into the box. Inside the box, from the left, substitute PV Vishnu attempted a half-volley, but the rebound fell to Crespo close to the goal line. Before he could get a touch, the keeper gathered the ball.
The match was a physically intense game. The visitors defended resolutely throughout, putting in a hard, all-out defensive effort. The Red and Gold Brigade created numerous chances, some of which were effective goal-bound moves, but they failed to make an impact on the scoreline, ending their first leg of the quarter-final with a 1-0 defeat.
The second leg will be played at Arkadag’s home (Turkmenistan) on March 12.
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