Kolkata, March 14: East Bengal FC drew their fifth Indian Super League clash 1–1 against Kerala Blasters FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Saturday evening. second consecutive draw for the Red and Gold Brigade, dropping four valuable points, while the Yellow Army opened their points tally in this away clash with a crucial header at the death of the match
Within the opening minutes of the match, East Bengal FC took the lead. In the 9th minute, Edmund delivered a pinpoint ball from the right to the edge of the six-yard box, which Youssef Ezzejjari attempted, at that moment, Aiban made an illegal challenge that stopped the move, and awarded a penalty to East Bengal. Ezzejjari stepped up and give the Red and Gold Brigade a 1–0 lead.
In the 25th minute, Kerala Blasters FC made a goal-bound move, though it was not effective. From the left, Kevin Yoak cut past two Red And Gold shirt and took a shot, but Prabhsukhan Gill was alert and made the save. In the 43rd minute, they got another chance when Ebindas delivered a corner, but Fallou’s header went wide.
Though the second-half display saw several shifts in momentum, East Bengal FC started with the same tempo as in the first half. However, at a decisive moment, Kerala Blasters FC changed the scenario of the game.
In the 52nd minute, East Bengal got their best chance to extend the lead when Edmund placed a ball for an unmarked Youssef Ezzejjari inside the box. However, in a one-on-one situation, Ezzejjari misplaced the ball, wasting a golden opportunity.
In the 85th minute, the game had to be stopped after a heated moment when Fallou Diagne and Miguel Figueira clashed. In the incident, Fallou challenged Miguel, and when the referee pointed it out, both players began arguing. Fallou then pushed Miguel, which resulted in a yellow card for him. However, the real blow came later in added time. In the 90+3rd minute, from Ebindas Yesudasan’s corner, Muhammed Ajsal equalised for the Yellow Army, sealing their first point of the ongoing campaign with a 1–1 scoreline.
With this result, after playing five games, East Bengal FC climbed to third place with eight points. Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters FC moved to twelfth with one point, level on goal difference with Sporting Delhi FC.
In the last three matches, East Bengal FC have dropped a total of seven points after winning two impressive matches by big margins. However, the injury concerns are gradually easing within the squad. In the clash against Kerala Blasters FC, East Bengal made some interesting changes, as PV Vishnu was deployed as a left-back, although he was not very noticeable in his new role. Meanwhile, Saul Crespo returned to the lineup after missing three matches, but Miguel, Ezzejjari was off in their role.
The rhythm of the game remained slow throughout, as both teams failed to create many threats for the goalkeepers. However, the spotlight eventually shifted to Kerala Blasters, who had been lacking in their final-third execution but managed to score their second goal of the tournament and secure their crucial first point from the away trip, though Catala stayed alert as the standings is not promising in the table.
Before the match, Oscar Bruzon had stated that there would be a strong hunger for points from Kerala Blasters FC, and the Yellow Army showed that fighting spirit. Despite several transitions in the squad, the overall output in East Bengal FC’s performance seemed somewhat similar, as they conceded a goal in the final moments of the match. Bruzon later said that the team lacked concentration at that crucial stage.
After the game, fans were heard chanting “Go back Oscar” In such a short league format, East Bengal are losing valuable points, though Bruzon remains hopeful of returning to a promising position before the FIFA break.
ISL 2025-26 – East Bengal FC vs Kerala Blasters FC highlights
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