East Bengal vs Paro FC LIVE updates, EBFC 1-2 PFC, AFC Challenge League 2024-25: Red and Gold trailing in second-half, match updates

EBFC booking: East Bengal sees its first yellow card as Anwar Ali is booked. 

East Bengal tries to launch a counter but a rushed pass leads to the Red and Gold lose the ball as it goes out of play. 

Saul gets at the end of a floating cross from the left flank. Instead of going for the header himself, he decides to set up a teammate. But the move does not come to fruition as Paro sends the ball out for a corner. 

EBFC sub: IN- Cleiton OUT- Naorem Mahesh 

Diamantakos gets the ball inside the box and goes for a shot at the near-post. However, he manages to hit only the side-netting. He rushed his shot because he had time to take another touch or two. 

A cross comes in from the right and Gill deals with a tricky header as the header bounces right in front of him. But the East Bengal keeper does well under the circumstances. 

Naorem Mahesh swings a low cross in from the edge of the Paro box. It is a difficult one for Cupic but the Paro keeper manages to hold on. 

East Bengal trialing 1-2 as the second-half gets underway. Opoku and Asante on the mark for Paro FC. Talal with the only goal for the Red and Gold Brigade. 

Goals from Opoku and Asante keep Paro FC in a 2-1 lead against East Bengal as the teams break for half-time. 

The East Bengal defence is caught out with Paro launching a counter attack. Evans Asante leads the charge and uses his raw pace to race towards goal. Gill comes off his line to put Asante under pressure but the latter keeps his calm to slot the ball past the East Bengal keeper to give his team a lead. 

Diamantakos has an excellent chance to give a late first-half lead to East Bengal. A cross comes in from the left and the Greek forward needed to get a touch. Bur he fails to do so. 

Talal curs the ball at goal from the East Bengal freekick, prompting Paro keeper Cupic to punch the ball away. 

Three minutes added at the end of the first-half!

PFC booking: Chetrim becomes the third Paro FC player to see a yellow card in the clash. 

East Bengal under pressure again a cross comes in from the left side. But Gill is alert enough to catch the ball before it reached the Paro player in the middle. It is a good move from Paro nonetheless. 

Fatigue will start becoming a factor soon enough considering the high altitude of the Changlimithang Stadium. At the moment, the tempo of the match has gone down with both teams conserving energy. 

Opoku goes for an unlikely route as he takes a direct shot at goal from miles out from a Paro freekick. The effort sails above the crossbar and the player apoligises to his teammates. 

PFC booking: Ivanovic sees a yellow card for his challenge on Talal. 

Asante makes a good run and tries to bring down an aerial ball but he fails to control it. Eventually, the whistle goes for offside. 

There is a melee inside the East Bengal box from a Paro FC corner. Asante manages to get a shot away at goal thought the sea of bodies but luckily for East Bengal, it goes straight to Gill who manages to hold on. 

Opoku shows quick feet to beat an East Bengal player and then takes his shot at goal from a tight angle. He forces a save from Gill and Paro FC has a corner. 

EBFC sub: IN - Lalchungnunga OUT- Lakra

It looks like it is the end of the night for Provat Lakra as he has suffered an injury. He makes his way off the pitch and East Bengal playing with 10 men as of now. 

Koki gets the ball on the left and makes his way inside the East Bengal box. He cuts in and goes for a curler, aiming for the far-corner. However, the effort is not on target. 

Talal delivers a cross from the left as Diamantakos tries to get to the end of it. But he cannot make the clearest of contacts, leading to the ball going out of play. 

Asante goes for goal from an ambitious distance but his shot is weak and does not trouble East Bengal keeper Gill at all. 

It looked like East Bengal had found the lead again after the ball ended up at the back of the Paro net but the goal was preceded by a foul and the referee rules it out. The scores stays 1-1 for now. 

William Opoku steps up to take the penalty and then buries the ball at the back of the net, finding the bottom-right corner. Paro FC gets its equaliser. 

Asante goes down inside the box from Porvat Lakra’s challenge and the referee points the spot. Paro FC has a chance to find the equaliser. 

The Red and Gold strike early in the match with an attack down the left. Saul delivers a low cross, which finds Talal and the Frenchman finds the bottom left-corner with a composed finish. 

East Bengal tries to registers its first shot on target but fail to do so, with the Paro defence on alert. 

Paro has an early chance after getting the ball inside the box but Hector Yuste gets the ball away in time before the shot is taken. Early warning signs for the Red and Gold. 

The AFC Challenge League 2024-25 group stage match between East Bengal and Paro FC is underway at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Cupic (GK); Chetrim, Ivanovic, Nima; Tomoyuki, Opoku; Koki, Kinga, Kazuo (C), Asante, Moto

Gill (GK), Lakra, Anwar, Hijazi, Yuste; Jeakson, Talal, Nadhakumar, Saul (C), Mahesh Naorem; Diamantakos 

East Bengal will clash against Paro FC in their AFC Challenge League 2024-25 opening group stage match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimpu on Saturday.

Paro FC will take confidence from the fact that East Bengal is down on morale, given its torrid form this season, which saw the Red and Gold lose their first six matches of the Indian Super League 2024-25 season.

Paro itself is in high spirits after winning its fourth consecutive Bhutan Premier League title recently. It will want to use its momentum and start its AFC Challenge League campaign with a win against Oscar Bruzon’s men.

There are no injury concerns for either team at the moment, and East Bengal should travel to Bhutan with all six of its foreigners. Mark Zothanpuia misses out after he was not included in the 26-man squad for the AFC Challenge League group stages. 

When and where is the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 clash between East Bengal and Paro FC kicking-off?

The AFC Challenge League 2024-25 clash between East Bengal and Paro FC will kick-off at 4:30 PM IST, Saturday, October 26 at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan. 

Where can you watch the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 clash between East Bengal and Paro FC?

The AFC Challenge League 2024-25 clash between East Bengal and Paro FC will be live-streamed on Bhutan Broadcasting Channel’s YouTube handle. 

There is no live telecast of the match in India.