East Bengal Clinches Crucial Victory Against Hyderabad FC
East Bengal secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Hyderabad Football Club (HFC). The decisive moment came in the 11th minute, courtesy of a well-executed header by Cleiton Silva.
Silva capitalized on a precise cross from Nishu on the left flank, expertly guiding the ball into the net. This early lead provided a much-needed boost for the Red and Gold Brigade, who were desperate for a win as the race for playoffs heats up.
Carles Cuadrat, the head coach of East Bengal, will be pleased with his team’s performance. Despite facing an inexperienced Hyderabad side, the visitors had to work hard to break through their defence. Hyderabad, though valiant, couldn’t find the back of the net.
In the second half, HFC launched a spirited attack, coming close on a few occasions but a top performance from Gill ensured the clean sheet on the night . Hyderabad’s woes continued as Alex Saji and Joao Victor received second yellow cards and were sent off during the second half.
Speaking to the press post the victory, Coach Cuadrat said, “I’m very happy with the clean sheet. It’s our sixth clean sheet of the season. We have already played 14 games. So, it means that in almost half of the games, we get a clean sheet. And to be competitive, it is very important to have clean sheets,”
“We have +2 goals in the difference between goals considered and goals scored. We are in numbers..that normally can take you to the playoffs. So we need to just keep working and get focused in the next match against Jamshedpur FC,” he signed off.
With this crucial victory, East Bengal has leapfrogged Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC in the standings. The team now eyes a playoff spot and hopes to build on this momentum. Next up, the boys face Jamshedpur FC on February 22 away from home.