Diego Raposo produced a spectacular strike from outside the penalty area as Punjab FC secured a 1-0 victory over Indian Super League champion East Bengal in their IFA Shield encounter in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Raposo’s goal ultimately separated the two sides in a closely fought contest at the East Bengal Ground, allowing Punjab to finish its group-stage campaign with another victory.
East Bengal entered the match with plenty of home support, with fans turning up in numbers to back the Red-and-Gold Brigade. The side fielded a team largely made up of first-time regulars, while new signings Chris Ikonomidis and Diego Živulić were also included in the starting line-up.
Punjab, however, arrived with considerable momentum after producing an emphatic 7-0 victory over Calcutta Customs in its previous match. While there was no repeat of that dominant scoreline, Punjab found the breakthrough it needed through Raposo.
His impressive effort from outside the box proved enough to settle the contest and maintain Punjab’s strong run in the competition.
The result did not affect either club’s qualification prospects, with both Punjab FC and East Bengal having already booked their places in the semifinals following victories in their opening group-stage matches.
Instead, the fixture provided both teams with another opportunity to prepare for the knockout stage, where they will face different opponents.
Punjab FC will now take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant in what promises to be an important semifinal contest. East Bengal, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to respond to Wednesday’s defeat when it faces NorthEast United in the other semifinal.
Both semifinal matches are scheduled to take place on October 2, with the winners advancing to the IFA Shield final.
For Punjab, the victory adds to an impressive group-stage run highlighted by its seven-goal performance against Calcutta Customs and the narrow success against East Bengal.
East Bengal will turn its attention to the knockout stage after falling short in front of its home supporters. With qualification already secured before Wednesday’s match, the Red-and-Gold Brigade will now prepare for its semifinal meeting with NorthEast United.
Punjab, meanwhile, heads into its clash against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on the back of consecutive group-stage victories and with Raposo’s match-winning strike providing the decisive moment in its latest success.
