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East Bengal lost to Kerala Blasters 2-1 in their fifth game of the ISL 2023-24 season in Kolkata on Saturday, November 4.
The Red and Gold Brigade came into the game placed 10th in the points table and had lost their previous game against FC Goa 2-1. Kerala Blasters came into the game placed fifth in the points table and with a win in their previous game against Odisha FC 2-1.
A win would have taken East Bengal to seventh in the points table while one for Tuskers would have taken them to the top of the table.
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The game started with both sides trying to gain control of the game. The two teams created a few half chances in the initial minutes but were not able to convert them.
Kerala Blasters scored the first goal of the game in the 32nd minute right after the drinks break. Adrian Luna found Daisuke Sakai with a brilliant pass and the speedy winger made no mistake in slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Carles Cuadrat's side kept a lot of ball possession in the dying moments of the first half but failed to score the equaliser. The scoreboard at halftime read 1-0 in favor of the visitors.
East Bengal FC made three changes at the start of the second half with Maher Hijazi, Souvik Chakrabarti, and Nishu Kumar replacing Saul Crespo, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, and Mandar Rao Desai.
The second half saw the hosts having the majority of the ball and creating numerous chances but failing to convert them.
Hijazi's header was fisted over the bar by Sachin in the 56th minute. Javier Siverio saw his header from a Mahesh Singh cross go inches wide in the 61st minute.
VP Suhair replaced Lal Chungnunga in the 72nd minute with Carles Cuadrat throwing the kitchen sink. Borja Herrera replaced Jose Pardo in the 82nd minute.
East Bengal FC were awarded a penalty in the 83rd minute when Sachin bought down Mahesh inside the box.
Cleiton Silva's penalty was saved by Sachin, but the kick had to be retaken as Sachin came out of his line before the ball was touched. Sachin saved the retake too and Cleiton skied the rebound also. It was East Bengal's best chance to score an equalizer.
If missing the penalty wasn't heartbreak enough for the home fans, Kerala Blasters scored their second goal of the game in the 88th minute. Diamantakos scored from the centre of the box. The goal was the winning strike of the game.
East Bengal were awarded another penalty in added time and this time Cleiton didn't miss from the spot.
The scoreboard at full-time read 2-1 in favor of the visitors. With this win, Ivan Vukomanovic's side moved to the top of the table. On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for East Bengal from this game.
East Bengal FC Player Ratings
Prabhsukhan Gill (5): Gill made one good save in the second half. Apart from that, he didn't have much to do during the game. He couldn't have done much for the goals his side conceded.
Mohamad Rakip (5): Rakip didn't have a good game. He had a lot of issues dealing with Daisuke. His crossing was poor too.
Lal Chungnunga (6): Nunga had a decent game as he made two tackles and five clearances during his time on the pitch.
Jose Pardo (5): Pardo had a poor game as he failed to deal with Kerala Blasters' attackers properly. His passing was poor and he was often found out of position.
Mandar Rao Desai (5): Mandar had another poor game. He had a tough time dealing with Luna and he wasn't good in attack too.
Harmanjot Singh Khabra (5.5): Khabra had a decent first half and he was crucial in breaking up the Tuskers attacks. His passing was poor too.
Saul Crespo (5): Saul had a poor game as he failed to control the midfield. His passing was poor. One reason for East Bengal's poor performance was Saul having a poor game.
Nandhakumar (5.5): Nandhakumar had a poor first half. He tried hard to better his performance in the second half but wasn't able to do so properly.
Naorem Mahesh Singh (6.5): Mahesh was probably the only bright spark for the Red and Gold Brigade in this match. He put in some great crosses.
Javier Siverio (5.5): Siverio was unlucky to finish the chances that came his way. He will hope to find his scoring boots soon.
Cleiton Silva (5): Cleiton was probably the major reason why East Bengal failed to secure even one point. He missed a crucial penalty despite having to take it twice. His overall gameplay was also below average.
Substitutes
Maher Hijazi (6.5): Hijazi looked solid after coming on in the second half. His introduction gave Carles Cuadrat's side a lot of stability at the back.
Souvik Chakrabarti (5.5): Souvik did a lot of the dirty work in midfield. His passing, though, wasn't up to the mark.
Nishu Kumar (5): Nishu had a poor game after coming on in the second half. He wasn't stable defensively and wasn't good going forward.
VP Suhair (5): Suhair came on late in the second half to provide more attacking options for his side. He wasn't able to do anything meaningful for his team.
Borja Herrera (N/A): Borja came on late in the game and didn't play enough minutes to be given a rating.
