On December 12, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Emami East Bengal FC hosted their match against Odisha FC. Despite playing with ten men, East Bengal FC took the lead first, but The Juggernauts made a comeback and sealed the scoreline with a 2-1 victory.
The match kicked off with the away side taking possession. Within the first four minutes, Hugo Boumous committed a rough challenge on Madih Talal on the right flank, which appeared to be quite serious. Talal, after receiving some primary treatment, initially continued playing, but by the 11th minute, Oscar Bruzon was forced to make a substitution as Talal could not continue. Nanda Kumar came on as his replacement.
In the 23rd minute, Nanda attempted a shot from the edge of the box, but Amrinder easily gripped it. In the 37th minute, Isak took a shot from outside the box, which deflected off the crossbar. Just a minute earlier, Jerry Mawihmingthanga’s header had hit the post.
After back-to-back attacks from Odisha, East Bengal launched a quick counter in the 38th minute. Cleiton made a swift run, but in a one-on-one situation, he lost control of the ball, allowing Amrinder to collect it safely. In the 43rd minute, East Bengal were reduced to ten men as Jeakson received his second yellow card of the match for committing a reckless foul on Mauricio.
In the second half, from a corner kick in the 54th minute, the Red and Gold Brigade took the lead. From the right, Mahesh delivered the ball into the box amidst the crowd. East Bengal attempted a shot, but it was deflected by the Odisha defense. However, Nunga precisely placed the rebound into the net.
But the lead didn’t last long, as The Juggernauts equalized in the 56th minute. Following a misplaced pass by East Bengal on the right flank, Isak intercepted the ball and passed it to Jerry Mawihmingthanga, who had just entered the box, sent the ball into the net from the far post.
Two minutes later, East Bengal launched an attack from the right flank. Nanda Kumar received the ball on the left and took a shot, but it narrowly missed the target after deflecting off Jahouh.
In the 80th minute, The Juggernauts took the lead. From the left flank, Mauricio launched an attack, entered the box, and passed the ball to Boumous, who converted it into a goal. Within two minutes, Mauricio had another close chance, but Prabhsukhan Gill managed to stopped it incredibly.
After no wins in 6 matches since the start, East Bengal FC won their previous two games, but tonight, playing with ten men, East Bengal FC failed to secure their winning streak of a hat-trick in front of the invincible Odisha FC.
The injury issues for Oscar Bruzon have increased, as tonight, Madih Talal’s injury appears to be serious and could potentially be an ACL injury. Adding to this, Hector Yuste, Diamantakos, and Saul Crespo are already not match-fit.
Match highlights East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC
Image Gallery East Bengal FC vs Odisha FC
