#1 Alejandro Menendez's tactical change at half time
The first half was evenly shared by both the teams in terms of possession. Kassim Aidara’s shot in the 35th minute was denied by the woodwork, while Jaime Colado also got an opportunity to score but he failed to make use of it. The hosts were dominant from the beginning of the second period and they got the result within the first five minutes itself.
East Bengal’s coach Alejandro Menendez revealed that he enforced a change in tactics in the second half which was crucial for the outcome of the game. “I told my boys in the second half to increase the pace and play more in the attacking third. Our pace was not good in the first half. Also, the opponent did well and made it difficult for us,” said the coach.
East Bengal’s next match will be against Mohun Bagan on January 27th at the same venue. A win is always a morale booster ahead of the ‘Kolkata Derby’. The understanding between the wingers and the forward was pretty good which is a positive sign for the side, although one cannot keep them ahead on papers in such a high voltage match!