ISL 2024-25: East Bengal FC beats Hyderabad FC 2-0 to stay in playoff race
Xtra Time Web Desk: East Bengal FC kept their playoff dreams alive with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Hyderabad FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. The hosts broke the deadlock in the 86th minute through an own goal by Hyderabad defender Manoj Mohammad, before forward Raphael Messi Bouli sealed the win with a goal in second-half injury time.
This marked East Bengal’s third consecutive win, taking their tally to 27 points from 22 matches and lifting them to eighth place in the standings. With four playoff spots already secured, the race for the remaining two positions has intensified, with six teams still in contention. Hyderabad, already out of the playoff race, remained 12th in the 13-team table with 17 points from 22 matches.
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Hyderabad started brightly, creating several counter-attacking opportunities in the first half but failed to convert them into goals. Their best chance came in the 21st minute when Edmilson Correia broke free of the East Bengal defense and forced a save from goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill. The rebound fell to Allan De Souza, who couldn’t capitalize.
Correia came close again towards the end of the first half, but his powerful free-kick hit the post, denying Hyderabad an early lead.
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East Bengal, despite creating numerous chances, struggled with their finishing in the first half. The Greek-Cameroonian attacking duo of Dimitrios Diamantakos and Messi Bouli showed promise but lacked precision. Messi Bouli, who joined East Bengal in January, was unlucky to see his 54th-minute attempt hit the post.
The breakthrough finally came in the 86th minute when a corner from substitute Richard Celis deflected off Hyderabad’s Manoj Mohammad and into the net. Messi Bouli then capped off the victory with a fine solo effort in added time, securing the three points for East Bengal.
