East Bengal suffered a damaging 0-2 defeat against Oman club Al-Seeb in their fourth Group D fixture of the AFC Champions League 2 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the home side held firm for most of the match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata before conceding two late goals. Also, this result drops the Indian side to the bottom of the group standings with only two points from four games.
- East Bengal conceded two goals late in the second half to lose the match.
- Axel Meye scored the opening goal for Al-Seeb in the 85th minute of the game.
- Zahir Al Aghbari added a second goal during the first minute of stoppage time.
- Anwar Ali left the pitch in the 17th minute due to an apparent injury.
Match Situation and Key Incidents
The hosts dominated early proceedings with several attacking moves. Bipin Singh missed an early chance before Dani Ramirez sent a low shot wide. However, the home defense suffered an early setback when Anwar Ali departed with an injury. Also, Al-Seeb absorbed the pressure and threatened through counter-attacks.
Goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa made vital saves to keep the score level. Meanwhile, the visiting side returned with renewed energy after the interval. After multiple missed chances, Axel Meye finally broke the deadlock in the closing stages. Later, Zahir Al Aghbari sealed the victory in stoppage time.
Group Standings and Upcoming Fixtures
This defeat leaves East Bengal in a precarious position in Group D. Also, the team faces an uphill task to qualify for the knockout stages. Meanwhile, Al-Seeb climbed to third place in the group standings with four points.
East Bengal will host Al Hussein SC in Kolkata for their next fixture. After that match, the team travels to Iraq to face Al Shorta in the final group game. Also, the squad must win remaining matches to keep qualification hopes alive.
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