East Bengal produced a stunning late comeback to beat Kuwait's Al Arabi SC 4-1 in extra time to qualify for the group stages of the AFC Champions League Two at the Salt Lake Stadium on Wednesday.
The home side looked set for a disappointing exit after trailing 0-1 with just 14 minutes of regulation time remaining. But Jay Gupta's 90th-minute equaliser changed the game before East Bengal took complete control in extra time.
Captain Mohammed Rashid put East Bengal ahead in the 108th minute with a superb half-volley before substitute David Lalhlansanga added a third in the 117th. Rohit Danu then completed the remarkable turnaround in the first minute of stoppage time in extra time.
Red & Gold Brigade Playing With Indian Backline
East Bengal, who are playing with an all-Indian defence in the absence
of Spanish centre-back Nacho Monsalve, will now enter the West Region group stage of the continent's second-tier club competition. The group phase will feature 16 teams playing in a round-robin format with home-and-away fixtures. The first half was played at a frantic pace, with both sides showing little inclination to sit back. Al Arabi created the first opening in the fifth minute when Zeid Qunbar dragged his effort wide from outside the box.
East Bengal responded through Basim Rashid and Jesin Thonikkara, with Al Arabi goalkeeper Sulaiman Abdulghafoor keeping out the former's powerful strike before comfortably dealing with Jesin's attempted curler.
Al Arabi came close to taking the lead in the 23rd minute when Kenean Maleko broke into the box and fired from an acute angle. The ball appeared to have beaten East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill, but he recovered brilliantly to claw it away from the goal line.
East Bengal had a golden opportunity shortly after the restart. Jesin raced forward on a counter-attack and picked out Bipin Singh, but the forward fired wide after taking a touch inside the box.
Al Arabi punished the miss in the 76th minute. Sandip Mandi brought down Maleko inside the box, and Iwuala made no mistake from the spot, sending a low effort into the bottom-left corner despite Gill diving the right way.
The Kuwaiti side nearly doubled their advantage with 10 minutes of normal time remaining, but Yousef Majed could only glance his header wide after meeting a cross from the left.
With East Bengal throwing bodies forward, the equaliser finally arrived in the 90th minute. Gupta rose to meet Rashid's free-kick and powered his header past Abdulghafoor to send the match into extra time. The momentum had completely shifted, and East Bengal took the lead in the 108th minute. A loose ball from the right fell near the edge of the box, and Rashid produced a superb half-volley that flew past the goalkeeper.
Drama In Extra Time!
Al Arabi attempted to respond, but East Bengal's defence held firm. The visitors had a major chance when Qunbar found space inside the box and squared the ball towards a teammate with Gill exposed. Mandi, however, made a crucial block to preserve the lead.
East Bengal then put the tie beyond Al Arabi in the 117th minute. Lalhlansanga found space inside the box and calmly finished to make it 3-1.
Danu completed the rout in stoppage time after Lalhlansanga showed excellent composure to round the goalkeeper before laying the ball across for the forward to tap into an empty net.
The victory comes after East Bengal won the Indian Super League last season, their first top-flight title in 22 years, earning them a place in continental competition. They will now take their place among the 16 teams in the AFC Champions League Two West Region group stage.
