East Bengal maintain their title-defending momentum with a 5-1 demolition of Inter Kashi, Aké Loba scoring twice.

Antonio López Habas made a statement against his former club as East Bengal FC secured a commanding 5-1 victory over Inter Kashi in the Indian Super League. The Red and Gold Brigade came out firing, scoring four goals in a dominant first-half display. Dani Ramírez, P. V. Vishnu and Aké Loba led the attacking charge, with Loba netting twice. Despite Inter Kashi pulling one back through an own goal, Red & Gold remained in control. Substitute Łukasz Zwoliński added the fifth in the second half, sealing an emphatic victory for Habas against familiar opposition.

East Bengal won the match in the first half

The Red and Gold Brigade made their intentions clear from the opening whistle, attacking with pace and purpose and putting the opposition defence under tremendous pressure.

Dani Ramírez opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a brilliant right-footed finish from inside the box, sending the ball into the top-left corner. East Bengal continued to dominate the attacking proceedings, and their pressure paid off again in the 16th minute. Aké Loba led a swift counterattack before setting up P. V. Vishnu, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner to double East Bengal’s advantage.

Inter Kashi attempted to fight back, with Rosenberg Gabriel coming close to finding the net in the 18th minute, only to see his long-range effort strike the right post. Hitesh Sharma also tried his luck from distance, but Inter Kashi struggled to convert their opportunities.

East Bengal, meanwhile, continued to exploit the spaces in the opposition defence. In the 21st minute, Dani Ramírez won a penalty after being fouled by Wayne Vaz inside the box. Aké Loba stepped up and confidently converted from the spot in the 22nd minute, firing his effort into the top-right corner to make it 3-0.

Inter Kashi received a lifeline in the 28th minute when an own goal by East Bengal defender Lal Chungnunga reduced the deficit to 3-1. The goal offered Inter Kashi a brief moment of hope, but East Bengal quickly restored their three-goal cushion.

In the 35th minute, Bipin Singh delivered an excellent cross into the box, and Aké Loba rose above the defence to power a header into the top-left corner. The goal completed Loba’s brace and extended East Bengal’s lead to 4-1.

East Bengal could have added more before the interval. Ramírez struck the left post from a difficult angle in the 45th minute, while Mohammed Rashid sent another attempt over the crossbar during stoppage time.

Despite Inter Kashi’s brief response, East Bengal’s attacking quality and clinical finishing have been the defining features of the first half.

A tough outing for Inter Kashi

The hosts struggled to cope with the defending champions’ attacking intensity and ended the match with a 5-1 loss. The decisive moment came in the 81st minute when substitute Christopher Ikonomidis set up Łukasz Zwoliński, who finished from close range to score the last goal. East Bengal continued to threaten in the closing stages, while Inter Kashi struggled to find a way back into the contest.

Aké Loba’s brace and goals from Dani Ramírez, P. V. Vishnu and Łukasz Zwoliński highlighted East Bengal’s attacking superiority. Although an own goal from Lal Chungnunga gave Inter Kashi a brief reprieve, they couldn’t build on it or mount a meaningful comeback.

For Inter Kashi, the result exposed their defensive vulnerabilities and the challenge of competing against a well-organised, clinical opponent.

The night proved one of the finest for East Bengal; it will be a big boost ahead of the AFC Championship League two clash against Al-Seeb scheduled to be played on the 27th October.