East Bengal defeated NorthEast United to win the ISL 2022–23 season opener. East Bengal defeated NorthEast United 3-1 on Thursday at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium to earn their first victory of the upcoming 2022–23 Indian Super League (ISL) season.
East Bengal scored its first goal in the first half through Cleiton Silva and added more goals in the second half through Charalambos Kyriakou and Jordan O’Doherty. In the waning seconds of the contest, Matt Derbyshire scored a goal for the home team. The Red and Golds moved up to seventh place in the standings after securing the three points.
The Performers:
Cleiton Silva: In the eleventh minute, the seasoned Brazilian forward gave the Red and Golds the lead by finding the back of the net once more. He continually posed a threat to the opposition’s defense because he was the leader up front.
Charalambos Kyriacou: Although he was playing out of position, the Cypriot produced a fantastic performance. He performed admirably at the pitch’s center while teamed with Jordan O’Doherty. In the second half, Kyriacou even scored his first ISL goal with the world.
The Spoilers:
East Bengal’s defense: Coach Stephen Constantine will undoubtedly be relieved by the team’s attacking performance before the Kolkata derby on October 29, but the team’s backline continues to be a cause for concern. The ineffective NorthEast offensive continued to threaten the Red and Golds, and they once again failed to maintain a perfect record.
East Bengal midfield: Alex Lima was benched owing to a niggle, and Charalambos Kyriakou was put in his stead. Both players put their names on the scoresheet as the two central midfielders worked well together in the middle of the field. VP Suhair put in a lot of effort on the flanks and had three very good chances to score during the game. On the left side, Mahesh Singh also did a good job.
East Bengal attack: The offensive effort by East Bengal continued where it left off against FC Goa in the second half. They scored three goals past the fragile NorthEast backline thanks to a free-flowing performance. Semboi Haokip was paired up front with Cleiton Silva by Stephen Constantine, and the Indian forward and the Brazilian clicked wonderfully.
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