XtraTime Newsdesk

The reason behind Mohun Bagan’s defeat against NorthEast United in the ISL on Monday was exactly the same as the one that cost East Bengal dearly against Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League Two on Tuesday. While Mohun Bagan squandered numerous chances before conceding a late goal, East Bengal had enough opportunities to put the game beyond their opponents in the first half itself. David Lalhlansanga could have scored not just a hat-trick but as many as five goals. Yet, Habas’s men returned home with a painful 3-2 defeat.

East Bengal once scored six goals against Iraq’s Al Zawraa. Had their chances been converted on Tuesday, another extraordinary result might have been possible. Instead, East Bengal are left wondering what could have been. Accepting the defeat will be particularly difficult given the number of opportunities they created.

The match began with Al Shorta’s Boubacar sending a header narrowly wide. East Bengal took the lead in the eighth minute. A move involving Hardik and Dani Ramirez ended with David, who controlled the ball brilliantly, turned quickly between two centre-backs and fired a left-footed shot into the net.

However, Amaydi equalised in the 14th minute with an unmarked header from a corner. Nobody was there to challenge him.

Nunga came close to restoring East Bengal’s lead with a superb curling effort from around 25 yards, forcing the Iraqi goalkeeper into a desperate save. David failed to make the most of the rebound.

East Bengal regained the lead in the 39th minute. Dani Ramirez’s brilliant free-kick from 22-23 yards was only partially kept out by the goalkeeper. Rashid chased the rebound and flicked it on with his heel, allowing David to score into an unguarded net and make it 2-1.

What followed was a frustrating sequence of missed opportunities from David. First, he blazed over after receiving the ball inside the box following a well-worked free-kick involving Ramirez and Jay Gupta. Then, completely unmarked six yards from goal, he failed to convert Hardik’s cross. His third chance was even more promising, as Edmund and Rashid combined to put him one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Once again, David could not finish.

Edmund, meanwhile, was a constant threat. His pace, skill and quick movement repeatedly troubled the Iraqi defence. The youngster once again demonstrated why he could become a future star and a valuable asset for Indian football. David provided good support, but his inability to finish proved costly.

Al Shorta came out aggressively after the interval. Hussein capitalised on a defensive lapse involving Zivkovic to make it 2-2. Kingsley Kuku then headed home from a corner at the near post to complete the turnaround, once again finding himself unmarked.

Zivkovic’s defensive errors will certainly concern Habas ahead of East Bengal’s upcoming AFC and ISL commitments.

Edmund managed another attempt, but the effort was cleared off the goal line. Al Shorta’s Boubacar was sent off in the 78th minute after receiving a second yellow card. Even against ten men, however, East Bengal could not find an equaliser.

Habas had set his team up in a 5-4-1 formation, which shifted to 5-3-2 during quick transitions. His familiar strategy of maintaining defensive solidity and launching rapid counter-attacks worked effectively in the first half.

East Bengal had done almost everything right before the break, except finish their chances. Despite scoring twice, David Lalhlansanga may well feel like the villain of the night. His missed opportunities ultimately proved more decisive than his two goals.