East Bengal kicked off their ISL campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 3-0 victory over NorthEast United at the Salt Lake Stadium, delivering a performance that underlined both intent and attacking quality. While the final scoreline read three, the Red and Gold Brigade could argue it might easily have been more.
Oscar Bruzon’s men controlled proceedings from the outset, dictating tempo and carving out multiple openings in the first half. Their movement in the final third repeatedly unsettled NorthEast’s backline, but a lack of clinical finishing meant the sides went into the break level despite East Bengal’s clear superiority.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 65th minute, and it was a moment worth the wait. Bipin Singh whipped in a delightful in-swinging cross from the left flank, perfectly weighted into the danger area. Rising above the defenders, new Spanish recruit Youssef Ezzejjari powered a glancing header beyond Gurmeet Singh to open his account and hand East Bengal a deserved lead.
Five minutes later, the Spaniard struck again. Edmund Lalrindika showcased excellent footwork and composure down the touchline, dancing past his marker before delivering a teasing ball into the box. Ezzejjari reacted sharply, finishing clinically to double both his tally and his team’s advantage, effectively putting the contest beyond NorthEast’s reach.
With NorthEast forced to push forward in search of a response, spaces began to open up at the back. East Bengal capitalised deep into stoppage time to add further gloss to the scoreline. PV Vishnu released Miguel Ferreira down the left on a swift counter-attack, and the forward made no mistake, driving a precise shot across Gurmeet into the far corner in the 90+2nd minute.
The final whistle was met with roars of approval from the home crowd, who witnessed one of East Bengal’s most complete ISL performances. Dominant, clinical, and full of attacking verve, the Kolkata giants signalled their ambitions loud and clear with a statement opening-night win.
