East Bengal match vs Paro FC.© East Bengal
East Bengal began their AFC Challenge League campaign with a thrilling 2-2 draw with Bhutan’s Paro FC, picking up a crucial point with Dimitrios Diamantakos’ second-half equalizer. The Super Cup champions put East Bengal ahead with an early goal from Madi Talal and a precise cutback from Saul Crespo in the fifth minute. However, that advantage did not last long as just three minutes later Evans Asante drew a foul from Anwar Ali in the box and the hosts responded with a penalty from William Opoku.
The match was an even affair with Paro seizing the momentum and keeping East Bengal’s defense on guard.
Koki Narita’s long shot and Tomoyuki Unno’s deflected shot tested Prabhuskan Gill, who held firm.
Palo’s tenacity paid off in stoppage time as Asante capitalized on a quick counterattack and sprinted past Gil from midfield to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, East Bengal pushed forward in search of an equalizing goal.
Kazuo Honma almost extended Palo’s lead with a header from close range, but Diamantakos responded with a shot from just outside the box.
However, the Greek forward seized his next chance in the 69th minute, calmly converting Nandakumar Sekhar’s pinpoint cross as he ran up the right flank.
The Indian Super League side now look ahead to their next Group A clash against Bangladesh’s Bashundhara Kings on Tuesday, looking to build on this hard-earned draw.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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