East Bengal FC kept its playoff hopes alive with a crucial 2-0 victory over Hyderabad FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday. A late own goal from Hyderabad defender Manoj Mohammad in the 86th minute broke the deadlock, and forward Raphael Messi Bouli sealed the win in injury time.
The win marked East Bengal’s third consecutive triumph, taking their tally to 27 points from 22 matches and pushing them up to eighth in the standings. With four playoff spots already secured, the battle for the remaining two positions has intensified, with six teams still in contention. Hyderabad, already out of the race, remained in 12th place with 17 points from 22 matches.
Despite their lowly position, Hyderabad started the game with intent, launching dangerous counter-attacks in the first half. The visitors almost took the lead in the 21st minute when Ayush Adhikari played a precise through pass to Edmilson Correia, who managed to break free of the East Bengal defense.
With Anwar Ali in pursuit, the Bissau-Guinean forward ran deep into the box and unleashed an angled shot that was parried away by East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill. The rebound fell to Allan De Souza, but the Brazilian forward failed to apply the finishing touch.
Correia came close again before halftime, striking a powerful free kick that beat East Bengal’s defenders but rattled off the post, denying Hyderabad an early advantage.
While East Bengal created several chances throughout the match, their Greek-Cameroonian attacking duo of Dimitrios Diamantakos and Messi Bouli struggled with accuracy in the final third. Bouli was particularly unlucky in the 54th minute when his shot struck the post.
The breakthrough finally came in the 86th minute when a corner from substitute Richard Celis took a deflection off Hyderabad’s Manoj Mohammad and ended up in the net, putting the hosts in front.
With Hyderabad pushing forward in search of an equalizer, Messi Bouli capitalized on a counterattack in the 94th minute. The Cameroonian forward showed his skill with a fine solo effort, rounding off the victory for East Bengal.
The result keeps East Bengal in the mix for a playoff spot, with just a few matches remaining in the season. Their recent winning streak has provided a much-needed boost, but they will need to maintain momentum to secure a top-six finish.
For Hyderabad, the defeat added to an already disappointing season, with their playoff hopes long extinguished. They will now look to salvage pride in their remaining fixtures.
With the battle for the last two playoff spots tightening, East Bengal’s late-season resurgence has injected fresh excitement into the race, setting up an intense finish to the league campaign.
