East Bengal 2 (Ejazari – Penalty, Nandhakumar) | Mumbai City 1 (Brenden)
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency: On Tuesday, East Bengal faced Mumbai City on their home turf with the specific objective of climbing to the top spot in the ISL standings. The 'Torch Brigade' succeeded in that mission. Despite falling behind early in the match, the Red and Yellow brigade staged a magnificent comeback to defeat Mumbai 2-1; with 21 points from 10 matches, they have now ascended to the summit of the league table. Much of the credit for this achievement must go to East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzón for his tactical execution. Currently, Jamshedpur sits in second place with 21 points from 11 matches, while Mohun Bagan Super Giant remains firmly in the championship race, occupying the third spot with 20 points from 9 matches. Following their defeat in this match, Mumbai City has slipped to fifth place in the standings, holding 19 points from 11 matches.
Prior to facing Mumbai City at the Mumbai Arena, East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzón surprised everyone during a press conference in Kolkata by announcing that this would be his final season as the Red and Yellows' head coach. He stated that he would no longer serve in the role of East Bengal coach after May 31st. However, he affirmed that he would continue to work with the specific goal of securing as many points as possible in the remaining four ISL matches, aiming to ensure East Bengal finishes in a strong position on the league table.
Given that the team is currently in the thick of the championship race, the timing of Oscar's announcement raises questions regarding its appropriateness. There are arguments to be made for both the positive and negative implications of such a move. On one hand, it would not have been unreasonable to hope that East Bengal's players—galvanized by the news of Oscar's impending departure—would give their absolute best in Tuesday's match against Mumbai. Conversely, there was also the possibility of the exact opposite occurring: the players becoming mentally unsettled or disheartened by their coach's exit, thereby losing their focus and failing to play their natural game.
However, during the clash against Mumbai City at the Mumbai Arena, the Red and Yellow brigade displayed absolutely no signs of capitulation from the very first whistle. Instead, Coach Oscar adopted precisely the right tactical approach—one characterized by the necessary caution and prudence required when facing a formidable opponent like Mumbai City, a side expertly coached by Petr Kratky, in an away fixture. His primary objective was to maintain a balance between defense and attack by fielding the team in his preferred 3-4-3 formation. However, one aspect of Oscar's team selection remained puzzling: despite his persistent insistence on having Miguel's suspension lifted, he opted not to include him in the starting lineup against Mumbai. He structured the midfield with Bipin and Vishnu on the flanks, flanked by Saul Crespo and Rashid in the center.
Furthermore, even in the attacking third, Oscar's initial game plan did not feature Ejazari—who had scored nine goals for the Red and Golds prior to the Mumbai match—in the starting eleven. Instead, Oscar deployed Jerry, Anton, and Edmund up front. His probable strategy was to capitalize on the situation later in the game by introducing his two best offensive weapons—Ejazari and Miguel—once the opposition had begun to tire. True to this approach, he followed through after the break. Trailing by a single goal and seeking to get back into the contest, he substituted Jerry, Anton, and Rashid with Shouvik, Ejazari, and Miguel right at the start of the second half. This move paid dividends; thanks to Miguel's relentless tenacity, East Bengal won a penalty and subsequently restored parity in the match.
However, due to the shaky nature of the defensive trio—Anwar, Cibile, and Jeakson—and Oscar's overly cautious tactical approach, Mumbai was able to exert immense pressure on East Bengal throughout the first half. Mumbai even took the lead in the 8th minute. When Akash Mishra's throw-in landed inside the box, the East Bengal defenders' disorganization allowed the loose ball to fall to an unmarked Brandon, who fired a shot past goalkeeper Prabhsukhan to find the back of the net. Buoyed by their opening goal, Mumbai pressed aggressively in search of a second. Had Vikram Partap and Chhangte not squandered at least three gilt-edged scoring opportunities, it remains doubtful whether East Bengal would have been able to stage a comeback in the second half. As the old adage goes, however: patience pays off. Following the halftime break—and specifically after the introduction of Nandhakumar in place of Edmund—East Bengal's attacking intensity increased significantly, a surge that the Mumbai defense proved unable to contain. In the 57th minute, while attempting to clear a ball he had under control inside his own penalty area, Mumbai's Joni Kauko committed a foul as he tried to fend off Miguel, who was closing in on him from behind. The referee did not hesitate to award a penalty in East Bengal's favor. In the 58th minute, Ejazari converted the penalty to level the match; this marked his 10th goal for East Bengal in the ISL.
East Bengal's winning goal arrived in the 71st minute, courtesy of Nandhakumar. Picking up a loose ball in his own half, Nandhakumar surged down the right flank; upon reaching the edge of the Mumbai penalty area, he cut inside and unleashed a high, angled shot with his right foot. The ball sailed just beyond the outstretched reach of Mumbai goalkeeper Lachenpa, nestling into the net at the far post. It would be no exaggeration to describe it as a world-class goal. Shortly after this goal, given the manner in which Kauko shoved Miguel to the ground inside the box, East Bengal arguably deserved a second penalty.
Having restored parity, Mumbai ramped up the pressure during the final 15 minutes in a desperate bid to salvage a result. Although they launched multiple raids into the East Bengal penalty area, they failed to find the back of the net. In the 92nd minute, a header by Nikum—following a cross from Chhangte—struck the post and rebounded away, denying Mumbai any chance of avoiding defeat. East Bengal ultimately left the field having secured all three points.
East Bengal: Prabhsukhan, Anwar, Sibille, Jickson, Bipin, Saul (Lalchungnunga), Rashid (Miguel), Vishnu, Jerry (Souvik), Anton (Ejazari), Edmund (Nandhakumar).