East Bengal FC vs Mohammedan SC: Red cards, goalkeeper heroics & other talking points from ISL clash

Mohammedan SC’s shot conversion issues prove costly again.

East Bengal FC earned their first point in the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) season. Playing with nine men, the Red and Gold Brigade managed to upset city rivals Mohammedan SC and secure a draw at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on Saturday.

Both teams played end-to-end football, but in the 28th minute, the main referee sent off Nandhakumar Sekar and Naorem Mahesh Singh, turning the game dramatically. Despite these setbacks, East Bengal regrouped and defended as a cohesive unit for nearly 73 minutes.

Mohammedan SC created numerous opportunities throughout the match, but their poor scoring run continued as they failed to convert any chances. Here, we discuss the key talking points of the match.

Discipline of East Bengal 

The turning point of the match came in the 26th minute. Nandhakumar Sekar was fouled in his defensive half by Amarjit Singh. However, the referee sent off Nandhakumar for his violent act on Amarjit. After this, the main referee, Harish Kundu, showed a second yellow to Naorem Mahesh Singh for his reaction. 

East Bengal FC are lacking discipline. The players of this team have received four red cards and 21 yellow cards this ISL season, the highest of all ISL outfits. Before this game, Provat Lakra and Lalchungnunga had already received red cards. 

In this difficult time, head coach Oscar Bruzon will have the duty to improve the disciplinary side of the team. 

Issues with Mohammedan SC 

There are two main issues with Mohammedan SC. One is shot accuracy. The club have scored only three goals in seven matches. Two goals were from penalties, and one came against Chennaiyin FC due to a defensive mistake.

Against NorthEast United FC, the team took eight shots (6 off target, 2 on target); against FC Goa, 18 shots (7 on target, 11 off target); against Chennaiyin FC, nine shots (6 on target, 3 off target); against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, seven shots (1 on target, 6 off target); and Hyderabad FC, 13 shots (9 off target, 4 on target). Today, against East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC took 14 shots ( 5 on target and 9 off target) but converted none. 

The second issue is offside. Mohammedan SC are frequently caught offside. The only game where there was no offside was against Mohun Bagan Super Giant. In that match, the Mariners hardly gave them chances in the attacking third. Against East Bengal FC, they were caught offside six times.

The Game of Goalkeepers 

Bhaskar Roy got his first opportunity for Mohammedan SC in the Indian Super League. He made his debut after first-choice keeper Padam Chettri’s questionable performances this season. Bhaskar made several saves throughout the game, including a top-class save of Madih Talal’s right-footed free kick just outside the box. 

On the other hand, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who started the season poorly, has improved significantly. Prabhsukhan had lost his place in the starting eleven after the match against the Kerala Blasters FC. However, he made a strong comeback and was undoubtedly the hero of today’s match against Mohammedan SC. He made crucial saves (six) and maintained the tempo of the game.

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