In a display of clinical finishing, East Bengal FC crushed NorthEast United 3-0 in their Indian Super League 2025-26 opener at Kolkata’s iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Yusuf Azzazari’s lightning-quick double in six second-half minutes proved decisive, earning him Player of the Match honors, before Miguel Ferreira added gloss with a stoppage-time strike.
East Bengal boss Oscar Bruzon opted for a robust defensive setup, pairing Jackson Singh with Anwar Ali at the heart of defense. Lalchungnunga moved to right-back, while young Jay Gupta earned a start on the left. NorthEast United handed Parthib Gogoi the attacking reins, flanked by speed demons Jithin MS and Jairo Semperio.
The home side seized control from kickoff, implementing a ferocious high press that disrupted NorthEast’s rhythm and induced wayward passes. Overlapping wing-backs bolstered Bipin Singh and Nanda Kumar, stretching the visitors’ defense thin. Yet, clear-cut chances eluded them in a tense first period.
NorthEast looked to counter with pace, but East Bengal’s midfield held firm. A dramatic late first-half sequence saw Miguel Zabaco nearly score an own goal, leading to Rashid’s thunderbolt off the bar and Ferreira’s rebound denied by Gurmeet.
Post-interval, NorthEast pushed forward with Jithin’s runs causing momentary alarm, but Ferreira soon drew a fine save. The dam broke spectacularly at 65 minutes: Jackson’s run unlocked Bipin, whose cross was powerfully headed in by Azzazari for his ISL debut goal.
The Spaniard struck again moments later. Edmund Lalrinfika’s pressured pass deflected fortuitously, leaving Azzazari to nonchalantly lob the keeper. Ferreira’s injury-time masterpiece – a left-footed curler past Gurmeet after Gupta’s visionary pass – sent the home crowd into rapture, marking a statement win.