East Bengal players celebrate after 1 of their goals vs Inter Kashi.© X/Twitter
Ake Loba scored a brace as East Bengal FC produced a commanding performance to thrash Inter Kashi 5-1 in an Indian Super League match in Pune on Friday. Dani Ramirez, PV Vishnu and Lukasz Zwolinski too found the back of the net for East Bengal in a lopsided contest. The defending champions made a dominant start, with in-form Ramírez scoring in the eighth minute. After receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area, Ramírez lifted it over Albino Gomes to put East Bengal ahead.
The Torchbearers doubled their advantage in the 16th minute through Vishnu, who finished a swift counterattack with a left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner after being set up by Loba.
East Bengal extended their lead in the 22nd minute when Loba converted a penalty, awarded after Ramírez was brought down inside the box by Wayne Vaz. Loba fired a right-footed effort into the top-right corner to open his scoring tally for the season.
Inter Kashi pulled one back in the 28th minute after Lalchungnunga scored an own goal, giving the visitors a lifeline.
However, East Bengal continued their attacking approach, with Loba completing his brace to make it 4-1 before half-time.
With the game firmly in the Torchbearers’ hands, head coach Habas substituted key players Rashid, Loba and Vipin Singh to avoid injuries and give young players some minutes at the start of the second half,
East Bengal adopted a more measured approach, prioritising possession and avoiding unnecessary risks, while Inter Kashi pressed hard in search of a way back into the contest.
* Lukasz Zwolinski came off the bench and scored his first goal in the ISL for East Bengal in the 81st minute, finding the bottom-left corner with a left-footed shot from close range after Christopher Ikonomidis provided the assist.
Featured Video Of The Day
Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver, Yashvir Singh Bronze As India Seal Double Podium In CWG Javelin
Topics mentioned in this article
