Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], January 20 : East Bengal FC came from behind to beat arch-rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant to secure their spot in the Kalinga Super Cup semi-final on Friday.
Mohun Bagan SG's Hector Yuste made the first breakthrough of the game, while the Red and Gold Brigade clinched the victory by coming from behind with Cleiton Silva's brace and Nandhakumar Sekhar's goal. East Bengal FC became the second team to book their place in the final four after Jamshedpur FC.
Both sides started well in the opening minutes of the prestigious Kolkata derby. The Mariners got the back of the net in the 19th minute after creating heavy pressure with numerous corners which helped them to get the opening goal.
Spanish defender Yuste gave his side an early lead in this vital game with his little flick from Dimitrios Petratos's corner.
Carles Cuadrat's defence line looked a little shaky in the opening quarter but rediscovered their fighting spirit after conceding the goal.
It was none other than East Bengal FC skipper Cleiton Silva, who helped the Red and Gold back into the game, just five minutes after conceding the goal.
It was an action-packed first half for the Mariners, as they were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of the first half. However, Petratos scored from the spot with his initial attempt, which was called off, but failed to find the back of the net for the second consecutive time as his shot rattled the crossbar.
The first half ended with a 1-1 scoreline.
The Maroon brigade showed their eagerness to get the lead, as Clifford Miranda made a couple of changes with Jason Cummings and Ravi Rana to get control of the match.
But Cuadrat's side took the lead just after that. It was Borja Herrera's curling shot that hit the post and the rebound came towards Sekar, who lashed the ball inside the net.
East Bengal FC were stupendous with their defence as Maher and Jose Antonio Pardo stood still on the backline throughout the game.
Captain Cleiton scored another one at the death. Arsh Anwer Shaikh failed to get a grip on the ball and Silva was there to secure their lead.
East Bengal FC got another chance with substitute PV Vishu in the 85th minute, but Mohun Bagan's goalie made a point-blank save to deny his effort.
Following the 3-1 win against Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC booked their spot at the top of Group A in the Kalinga Super Cup.
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