East Bengal FC delivered a dominant performance, defeating Odisha FC 3-0 in the Indian Super League, driven by goals from Bipin Singh Thounaojam and Youssef Ezzejjari.
IMAGE: East Bengal’s Bibin Singh and Youssef Ezzejjari celebrate a goal against Odisha FC in an Indian Super League encounter in Margao on Tuesday. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- East Bengal FC defeated Odisha FC 3-0 in a commanding Indian Super League performance.
- Bipin Singh Thounaojam scored early, setting the tone for East Bengal’s dominance.
- Youssef Ezzejjari netted two goals in the second half, securing the victory for East Bengal.
- East Bengal’s win moves them up to fourth place in the Indian Super League table.
- Odisha FC struggled to find rhythm, remaining in 13th place after the defeat.
East Bengal FC strengthened their push towards the top half of the Indian Super League table with a commanding 3-0 victory over Odisha FC in Margao on Tuesday.
Bipin Singh Thounaojam (11th minute) handed East Bengal an early lead before Youssef Ezzejjari (70th and 84th) struck twice in the second half to wrap up a comfortable win for the Red and Gold Brigade.
East Bengal move up to fourth spot
With this victory, East Bengal FC move up to fourth in the table with 18 points from nine matches. Odisha FC, meanwhile, remain in 13th place with six points. Bipin Singh was named the Man of the Match for his influential display, contributing a goal and an assist.
The hosts began on the front foot, with Edmund Lalrindika going close inside three minutes, as East Bengal immediately asserted control.
The breakthrough arrived in the 11th minute following sustained pressure. Lalrindika combined neatly with PV Vishnu on the left, and the latter’s clever run and cut-back found Bipin Singh arriving unmarked at the far post, who tapped into an empty net to give East Bengal the lead.
East Bengal’s dominant possession and attack
East Bengal continued to dominate possession, repeatedly testing Odisha’s deep defensive block. Vishnu remained a constant threat down the flank, while Nandhakumar and Saul Crespo probed from central areas.
Odisha, meanwhile, relied on sporadic counter-attacks, with Rahim Ali showing glimpses of intent, but East Bengal keeper Prabhsukhan Gill was rarely troubled in the first half.
Despite a few late efforts from Odisha before the break, including a sharp save from Gill to deny Rahim Ali, East Bengal went into half-time with a slender but comfortable advantage.
Ezzejjari’s impactful second-half goals
The second half followed a similar pattern, with East Bengal controlling proceedings and Odisha struggling to find rhythm in the final third.
East Bengal doubled their lead in the 70th minute through a well-worked move. Vishnu once again delivered a teasing cross into the box, and although diving Anuj Kumar failed to deal cleanly with it, the loose ball fell kindly for substitute Youssef Ezzejjari, who made no mistake with a simple finish.
The Moroccan forward added his second and East Bengal’s third in the 84th minute. Substitute Mawihmingthanga’s incisive pass released Bipin Singh down the right, and his composed cut-back found Ezzejjari in space, allowing him to slot home with ease and put the result beyond doubt.
Odisha attempted to respond late on but lacked the cutting edge in the final third, with their best chance coming from their captain Carlos Delgado’s header that drifted wide. East Bengal comfortably managed the closing stages to secure all three points.
