I-League 2024-25: Rajasthan United claim a stellar win over Real Kashmir at home

Rajasthan United sit at the 4th spot in the I-League 2024-25 table.

Rajasthan United kept up their upward charge through the I-League 2024 table with a 4-0 win over Real Kashmir in a thoroughly emphatic performance at the Vidyadhar Nagar Stadium on Monday, February 24, 2025. The game was decided essentially in the first 32 minutes in which the Desert Warriors scored three goals.

Rajasthan United took their tally to 24 points and rose to fourth place, their highest so far in the season. Meanwhile, Real Kashmir suffered a blow to their title chances as they remained on 26 points and slipped to third place, three points behind leaders Churchill Brothers. It was the Snow Leopards’ heaviest I-League defeat since March 2022 when they were beaten 5-1 by Gokulam Kerala FC.

🔴 @RajasthanUnited dominate at home for a win over @realkashmirfc and break into the 🔝 half of the table! 🔥#ILeague #RUFCRKFC #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/2wZEsK6X0Y

— I-League (@ILeague_aiff) February 24, 2025

In an utterly dominant first-half performance, Rajasthan United pressured Real Kashmir’s defence from the outset. Playing out from the back, they constantly drew Kashmir’s players forward before exploiting the gaps and hitting them at pace.

When the first goal did arrive, in the 13th minute, it wasn’t a surprise, even if the visitors would’ve been disappointed with the defending. William Pauliankhum’s cross from the left curled into the box and was chested down by Maicol Cabrera into the path of Alain Oyarzun. The Spaniard duly smashed the ball in from inside the six-yard box to open the scoring.

Almost straight from the restart, Rajasthan added a second. With Kashmir saddled on their heels in defence, Cabrera took the ball from Aminou Bouba, charged into the box and scored his first of the match. 

The Snow Leopards were rattled, and Rajasthan could have easily added many more if not for some brave goalkeeping by Syed Zahid Hussain Bukhari. Even the goalkeeper though could do nothing about Rajasthan’s third in the 33rd minute — a sure-shot contender for one of the goals of the season.

With his back to goal, Cabrera chested a lobbed cross from the right, up before unleashing a perfect bicycle kick into the bottom corner of the goal. Rajasthan would’ve been sad to see the half end, and Kashmir, rushed inside glad to be rid of it.

The visitors put up a braver rearguard action in the second half, restricting Rajasthan to pot shots from distance and even going to the extent of turning the game into a bruising encounter. While they did little going forward, at least the leaks had stopped.

That was until injury time, when Muhammad Hammad’s weak clearance from a low cross was smashed in by substitute Gauram Virwani. Rajasthan United romped home to another home victory.  

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