Synopsis
Punjab FC's playoff hopes were ended by a 3-1 defeat to East Bengal FC at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Despite a late goal from Ezequiel Pulga Vidal, East Bengal's early dominance proved decisive. They now sit in 10th place, while Punjab remains in 11th.Key Takeaways
- Punjab FC suffered a critical loss, ending playoff hopes.
- East Bengal secured victory with goals from Diamantakos, Mahesh Singh, and Lalchungnunga.
- Punjab remains at 11th place with 24 points.
- Dimitrios Diamantakos opened the scoring for East Bengal.
- Mohun Bagan Super Giant leads the ISL standings.
New Delhi, Feb 22 (NationPress) The aspirations of Punjab FC to qualify for the playoffs in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 were extinguished as they faced a 1-3 defeat at home against East Bengal FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday. Goals from Dimitrios Diamantakos, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Lalchungnunga secured the victory for East Bengal, while Ezequiel Pulga Vidal netted a consolation for Punjab FC.
The defeat leaves Punjab FC in 11th place with 24 points from 21 matches, while East Bengal climbs to 10th, also with 24 points.
East Bengal took an early lead in the 15th minute. A defensive error from Punjab allowed Dimitrios Diamantakos to score with a left-footed shot following a mishandled clearance from Suresh Meitei. Diamantakos had another opportunity shortly after but failed to convert from close range. Nevertheless, East Bengal continued to threaten, with Raphael Messi Bouli causing significant issues for the Punjab defense.
Just two minutes into the second half, the visitors doubled their advantage. A cross from Messi Bouli found Vishnu P.V, whose shot was blocked by Ivan Novoselec, allowing Naorem Mahesh Singh to capitalize on the rebound and score. East Bengal added another goal in the 54th minute when a poorly cleared free-kick from the right led to Lalchungnunga scoring from close range, extending their lead to 3-0.
Punjab managed to score a consolation goal through a powerful long-range strike by Pulga Vidal, who volleyed from 25 yards outside the box. Despite applying pressure on the East Bengal defense, Punjab could not convert their chances into goals.
Despite their efforts, Punjab was unable to find the net again, while East Bengal stood strong to claim all three points.
In the meantime, Mohun Bagan Super Giant leads the ISL standings with 49 points from 21 matches. FC Goa sits in second place with 39 points from 20 matches, closely followed by Jamshedpur FC with 37 points from 20 games.
