East Bengal vs Punjab FC, Highlights: Siverio goal takes EBFC into Durand Cup quarterfinal

Six minutes added on and that wouldn’t please the East Bengal faithful. But the home side does well enough to see out the injury time and secures its spot in the quarterfinal of the Durand Cup and all it took was one goal from its new signing from Javier Siverio.

East Bengal gets a couple of corners as it looks to wind the clock down. But they can’t find the insurance goal.

Nervy time for the East Bengal fans. Their side is ahead, but barely. One mistake can dismantle everything it has built so far.

East Bengal is unwilling to move the ball forward quickly. The home side wants consume as much time it can with each of its attacks.

East Bengal happy to keep the ball and pass it around. They get two chances to shoot and fluff both. Cleiton and Nandha being the culprits. Can Punjab make them pay for their mistakes?

Drinks break taken. Punjab has to take more risks to get back into the game. They start on the right foot. A through ball is threaded forward for Luka and it looked like he was about to get it when the offside flag is raised.

East Bengal wins a freekick at the edge of Punjab FC’s box. It is for a handball and was so close to being a penalty. Cleiton Silva with the freekick. He goes directly for goal and it flies above the crossbar.

East Bengal forced back into its half as it prepares to shield its lead and secure the win. Punjab FC unable to get their combinations right and break through the East Bengal ranks.

Nandha breaks free on a counter. He has Mahesh and Siverio with him. But he delays the final pass and Punjab regroups in time to crowd him out.

Borja is taken off for East Bengal and in comes new signing Jose Pardo.

Lhungdim with a dangerous cross from the right and Elsey has to stay sharp to head it away for a corner. But the ensuing corner is a disappointing one, goes straight out and into the side netting.

The game has lost its rhythm in the second half, with neither sides unable to get their passing correct. A clutter of fouls and resultant yellow cards too doesn’t help. Mahesh is the latest to join the list of booked players.

East Bengal wins a freekick. It is too far for having a shot. Borja chips it in, but it is overhit and Kiran opts to let it go out for a goal kick. Souvik is proving to be a menace for Punjab in the midfield with some crunching tackles.

Yellow card for East Bengal’s Nunga to start the second half. Seems like for time wasting. Quite early in the game for such tactics and is dealt with strongly by the referee.

Borja with the first shot of the half and it is blocked away.

Punjab FC gets the second half underway and has a long spell on the ball to start it.

Finally a chance for Punjab FC, just before half time. The ball pings around the box and finally lands on Brandon’s feet. He tries to curl it to the bottom corner, but misses the target.

East Bengal started slowly, but soon enough took the lead of the game through a Siverio header. It looks in control, but will need another goal to be safe. Punjab has faded away after a strong start and will be hoping for a better performance in the second half.

Punjab finally gets the ball into East Bengal box. But its a weak cross and Nunga clears away the danger.

Punjab unable to make much progression into the East Bengal half. The home side has sinked its teeth into the contest. Makesh with a delicious cross from the left and Siverio is there with his header. This time it comes thumping of the goalpost.

Souvik makes a cynical foul to prevent Mera from gaining control of the ball. East Bengal breaks free on a counter. Mahesh with the ball and his brought down inside the box. But the referee doesn’t feel it is a penalty. The crowd doesn’t agree.

Punjab FC has well and truly lost all the momentum it built up in the early minutes of the game. The two early chances it missed might prove to be vital.

Nandha getting more involved in the game. Punjab left back Salah has a task in his hand to keep him quiet today. East Bengal gradually nudging up the pressure against the away side.

East Bengal has scored with its first shot on goal of the day. Punjab FC will be kicking itself about how badly it defended those two set pieces. That is a weakness the home side will look to exploit further.

East Bengal wins freekick close to the box. It is crossed in and Punjab doesn’t deal with it well. East Bengal now has a corner. It is swung in and Siverio is there to put his head onto that. GOAALLL!!

East Bengal still unable to stitch together a coherent attack. Punjab is looking the much more likelier side to take the lead. Krishnananda is pushing Punjab forward down the left flank. His cross though is blocked and Gill makes a comfotable grab.

Juan Mera wins the first corner of the game for Punjab FC. But they can’t make the set piece count. East Bengal getting their feet into the game. Better passing from the red and gold brigade.

East Bengal finally succeeds in moving the ball upfield. But still no shot at goal from the home side as Punjab defends compactly.

At the other, Ricky gets time and space inside the box to take a shot. It is a weak one and Gill makes an easy save.

Some wasteful passing from the East Bengal backline gives Punjab a chance to gain control of the ball and soon enough they create the first shot on goal. Juan Mera with a left-footed effort from outside the box. Gill has to dive to palm it away.

Both teams yet to settle into the game. Punjab tries to make their way down the left flank and Khabra is there to make the necessary intervention.

East Bengal gets the game underway. The home side needs a win to ascertain its qualification to the knockout stage of the tournament.

Punjab FC - Kiran; Lhungdim, Melroy, Nikhil, Salah; Ashis, Ricky, Brandon, Juan Mera; Krishnananda, Luka

East Bengal - Gill; Khabra, Nunga, Elsey, Nishu; Saul, Souvik, Borja, Mahesh, Nandha; Siverio

East Bengal started its tournament with a 2-2 draw with Bangladesh Army Football Team, failing to defend its two-goal lead in the second half.

In its second game, former Odisha FC winger Nandhakumar Sekar proved to be the most important player on the pitch when he curled in a left-footer into the bottom-left corner against Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

The win did not just secure his team’s first win under new head coach Carles Cuadrat but it also guided the red-and-gold brigade to its first Kolkata derby win since January 27, 2019.

East Bengal vs Punjab FC will be played at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan with the kick-off scheduled at 6:00 pm.

The match can be watched live on Sony Ten 2 and Sony Ten 2 HD.

The match can also be live-streamed on the Sony LIV app and website.

Scenario 1: If East Bengal beats Punjab FC – East Bengal will earn a direct spot into the quarterfinals.

Scenario 2: If East Bengal draws/loses against Punjab FC – East Bengal can still make it to the quarters as one of the two best second-placed sides. The 2023 edition of the tournament will have the six group-toppers and two-best ranked sides as the last eight teams.

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Emami East Bengal will look to continue its new-found winning momentum in the Kolkata derby as it takes the pitch against Punjab FC in its final group-stage game in the Durand Cup 2023.

The Red-and-Gold Brigade beat arch-rival Mohun Bagan Super Giant for the first time in four years, with Nandhakumar Sekar scoring the winner at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.