East Bengal beat Iraq’s Al-Shorta 3-2 for first AFC Champions League Two win

East Bengal secured a 3-2 victory over Iraq’s Al-Shorta in their AFC Champions League Two Group D match at Salt Lake Stadium, according to Sportstar’s live score update.

The result gave Antonio Lopez Habas’s side its first win of the tournament after East Bengal had begun its campaign with a 2-2 draw against Jordan’s Al Hussein.

Al-Shorta were reduced to 10 players after Abdoul Magid Moumouni received a second yellow card and was sent off.

East Bengal take first win of campaign

East Bengal entered the match looking for its first victory in the AFC Champions League Two 2026-27 group stage.

The Kolkata club had surrendered a two-goal half-time lead in its opening 2-2 draw against Al Hussein.

Dani Ramirez had opened the scoring in the ninth minute of that match before delivering the corner that led to East Bengal’s second goal.

Mahmoud Al Mardi and Ahmad Assaf scored in the second half to deny East Bengal all three points in that opening fixture.

Al-Shorta arrived in Kolkata after beginning its campaign with a 1-0 win over Oman’s Al Seeb.

The Iraqi side therefore sat atop Group D before the match, with three points from its opening game.

East Bengal and Al Hussein had one point each, while Al Seeb remained without a point.

The top two teams in the group will advance to the round of 16, making a victory important for East Bengal’s position in the section.

The match was East Bengal’s first home fixture of the tournament.

It was also the first meeting between East Bengal FC and Al-Shorta SC in continental competition.

East Bengal had reached the AFC Cup semifinals in 2013, where its campaign ended against eventual champion Kuwait SC.

The Kolkata club lost the first leg 4-2 in Kuwait before suffering a 3-0 defeat at home.

The victory over Al-Shorta thus came in East Bengal’s first continental home match of this campaign, after the club had begun the group stage away from Salt Lake Stadium.

Habas seeks a response after Shield defeat

East Bengal went into the match after losing 1-0 to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the IFA Shield final the previous week.

Samir Zeljkovic scored the winning goal for Mohun Bagan.

That defeat followed East Bengal’s 4-1 victory over the same city rival in the Durand Cup final earlier in the season.

A Shield triumph would have helped Habas’s players approach the Al-Shorta match with greater positivity, but the home setting still offered East Bengal some comfort.

The match was played at Salt Lake Stadium, where East Bengal had home support behind it.

The team played in its red-and-gold home kit and began the match moving from left to right.

Habas had backed his players to approach the fixture with a fresh mindset after the Shield final.

“Tomorrow (Tuesday)’s game could be our toughest as they (Al-Shorta) are a very good side,” Habas said.

“Now, what has happened has happened, and we need to start afresh.”

The East Bengal coach also identified a problem that had affected the team’s performances.

“It’s just that we aren’t able to play in the same rhythm and tempo in both halves.”

“That’s the area where we need to work on,” the Spaniard said.

East Bengal’s defence had looked vulnerable whenever Mohun Bagan attacked on the counter in the Shield final.

India international Anwar Ali was expected to return to the starting line-up after missing that final.

His return was expected to strengthen the defence to some extent.

The starting line-up also included Jeakson Singh and Diego Zivulic, whose defensive work and ability to recover possession were identified as important against Al-Shorta.

Habas selected Edmund Lalrindika and David Lalhlansanga in attack.

Ake Loba and Lukasz Zwolinski were left on the bench.

That selection meant the foreign forwards did not begin the match, while the two Indian attackers were given the starting roles.

Al-Shorta prepared for East Bengal’s attack

Al-Shorta’s squad included two players who had appeared at the World Cup, goalkeeper Jalal Hassan Hachem and striker Mohanad Ali.

The Iraqi side was placed fifth in the current Iraqi league standings before the match.

Al-Shorta had also entered the contest unbeaten in its last eight matches.

Its opening AFC Champions League campaign match had ended in a 1-0 victory over Al Seeb.

Al-Shorta coach Sami Trabelsi said the differences between the teams in the group were not significant at that stage.

“It’s just the start (at ACL II), so there isn’t much difference between the teams,” Trabelsi said.

“But yes, the team that secures more points at the start can make a difference,” he added.

At a press conference before the match, Trabelsi said Al-Shorta had followed several of East Bengal’s matches and understood the Indian side’s capabilities.

“The match will not be easy against a good team,” Trabelsi said.

He also referred to the development of Indian football and warned that East Bengal had quality in attack.

“The differences between the teams in the group are not significant, and the team that manages to collect the most points from the start will have a greater chance of qualifying,” Trabelsi said.

“East Bengal FC has outstanding players, especially in the attacking department,” he added.

The Al-Shorta coach said the weather in Kolkata would not be a problem for his team.

He said the side was accustomed to playing in high temperatures.

Trabelsi also spoke about the pressure created by a crowded schedule.

He said playing nine matches or more in a single month put considerable pressure on the team.

At the same time, he said the number of matches gave the team greater cohesion and connection.

Bassam Shakir recalled having played at the stadium in 2017 with the youth national team.

“I previously played in this stadium in 2017 with the youth national team nine years ago, and I am very happy to return once again to the city of Kolkata, India,” Shakir said.

Shakir said Al-Shorta wanted a positive result, the three points and a performance worthy of Iraqi football and the club’s supporters.

The team completed its final preparations on the pitch in Kolkata before the match.

Starting line-ups and early exchanges

East Bengal’s listed starting XI included Prabhsukhan Gill in goal, Hardik Bhatt, Anwar Ali, Chungnunga, Edmund Lalrindika, Daniel Ramirez, David Lalhlansanga, Diego Zivulic, Jeakson Singh, Jay Gupta and Basim Rashid.

Al-Shorta’s starting XI included Jalal Hassan, Ruben Ramirez, Maytham Jabbar Al-Farttoosi, Boaz Ngalamulume Bato, Ahmed Yahya Al-Hajjaj, Hussein Al-Saedi, Abdoul Magid Moumouni, Atheer Salih Al-Mousa, Leonel Ateba Mbida, Bassam Shakir Ahmed and Kingsley Kuku.

The match was scheduled to begin at 7:15 PM IST.

The encounter took place in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

East Bengal’s home support was expected to play a part as the club sought to make the most of its first home fixture in the competition.

The match began with both teams looking to use the ball in different areas of the pitch.

East Bengal initially attacked through the centre, while Al-Shorta found more opportunities on the left.

Chungnunga was repeatedly tested by Kingsley Kuku and Ahmed Yahya Al-Hajjaj.

The East Bengal defender managed to clear the danger on several occasions.

He also tracked back to challenge Ahmed and slid in to clear the ball, although Al-Shorta won a corner from the move.

Later, Leonel Ateba went shoulder to shoulder with Chungnunga, whose header fell to the Al-Shorta player and resulted in another corner.

Chungnunga then tried a shot from the middle of the park.

The ball swerved in the air and almost deceived goalkeeper Jalal, who scrambled to make the save.

The defender’s effort was described in the live coverage as a good attempt.

Al-Shorta gradually began putting together more passes in defence and opened up Abdoul on the left.

East Bengal closed him down and cleared the move.

On another attack, David Lalhlansanga was caught offside from a through ball by Rashid.

Al-Shorta’s pressure brought the visiting side more possession as the first half progressed.

The momentum shifted slightly towards Al-Shorta, which began seeing more of the ball.

Rashid was penalised for bringing down Ahmed from behind in the middle of the park.

David Lalhlansanga gives East Bengal the lead

David Lalhlansanga scored twice before half-time to put East Bengal in front.

The live coverage recorded East Bengal leading 2-1 at the interval.

One of the attacks began with Ramirez playing the ball to Edmund on the left during a counter.

Edmund drove inside, dropped his shoulder and curled a shot with the inside of his right foot.

The effort won East Bengal a corner.

Rashid then found a gap and played the ball through to David.

David collected it and took a shot, but the attempt flew past the target after he chose power over placement.

David later received the ball, cut past two players and was brought down by Abdoul.

The referee showed Abdoul a yellow card for the challenge.

East Bengal continued to threaten from set pieces.

Rashid won a free-kick, with Ramirez preparing to take it.

The cross was floated towards the far post, where Jay Gupta went for the ball.

Jal came quickly off his line and punched the ball clear.

Ramirez was later left on the ground after Ahmed caught him in the face with an arm.

The referee spoke to the players but did not show a card for that incident.

Ramirez also stood over another free-kick after David had taken a shot that went over the crossbar.

Jal managed to get a hand to Ramirez’s free-kick after diving to his left.

The danger was not fully cleared, however, and Rashid flicked the ball back inside.

David was in position to finish the move and make it 2-1.

The live account also noted David’s two goals as the main reason East Bengal carried the lead into half-time.

Chungnunga’s contribution was also highlighted because he had remained solid on the left side while Al-Shorta launched much of its attack from that area.

Ramirez was described as impressive in midfield, while Rashid linked up effectively with his teammates.

East Bengal therefore went into the break with a narrow advantage despite Al-Shorta’s pressure and possession in parts of the opening half.

Al-Shorta respond after the break

Cristian Barco came on for Al-Shorta at the start of the second half, with Bassam Shakir coming off.

The visitors continued to threaten from the left and through set pieces.

Ahmed Yahya eventually found his opportunity after repeatedly moving into the area from that side.

He rose highest to meet a corner and headed the ball into the net for the equaliser.

The goal came after Ahmed had been causing problems by moving in from the left.

He later entered the box from the same side, but Chungnunga cleared the ball away from danger.

Ahmed also shrugged off defenders and ran inside from the left during another attack.

His cross was weak and was collected easily by Gill.

Al-Shorta won another corner when Kuku collected the ball on the left and drove forward, with Chungnunga covering the move.

The corner was headed towards goal, but the chance did not produce another score.

Hardik then found David, who turned and took a shot.

The live update recorded East Bengal as scoring during that sequence, while Sportstar’s match headline listed the final score as 3-2 to East Bengal.

The home side had to withstand further pressure as Al-Shorta looked to restore its advantage.

At one stage, Al-Shorta stitched together several passes in the back before opening up Abdoul on the left.

East Bengal closed down the move and cleared it.

Leonel found a through ball on the right, but the flag went up.

The crowd fell silent as Al-Shorta began dictating play during that spell.

Gill restarted proceedings from the back after the hydration break.

East Bengal’s central play continued to be a feature, while Al-Shorta maintained its preference for attacking from the left.

Red card changes the contest

Abdoul was later shown a second yellow card and sent off after bringing down Jay Gupta.

The dismissal left Al-Shorta with 10 players.

The red card came after Abdoul had already been booked for bringing David down earlier in the match.

East Bengal made substitutions as the contest continued.

Arnaud Loba and Zwolinski came on for the home side.

Bipin also replaced Hardik.

The match included several other disciplinary incidents.

Hardik was booked for pulling Kuku’s shirt from behind while the Al-Shorta striker was moving forward.

Maytham was shown a yellow card after bringing down Edmund.

David Hmar was booked after his arm caught Abdoul while the two players challenged for the ball in the air.

The live coverage also recorded Ramirez bringing down Barco, giving Al-Shorta a free-kick 30 yards outside the box.

Barco stood over the set piece, but Hussein took the free-kick and sent it wide.

East Bengal’s players were also forced to defend several dangerous deliveries into the box.

Jal saved Ramirez’s shot from inside the box before the ball fell to Edmund.

The Al-Shorta goalkeeper again kept out the follow-up, with the ball bouncing inside before eventually being cleared away from danger.

Habas reacted from the touchline to what the live coverage described as a fortunate escape for East Bengal.

Jay Gupta later found Rashid, whose low shot lacked the power needed to test Jalal.

The visitors also had a free-kick after Ramirez brought down Barco.

Hussein’s attempt went wide and out.

A demanding finish at Salt Lake

The match’s later stages were shaped by Al-Shorta’s possession and East Bengal’s attempts to protect its advantage.

Al-Shorta had put together multiple passes during a period in which East Bengal struggled to regain control.

The visitors also created pressure through corners and deliveries from the left.

Chungnunga’s defensive work remained important as he repeatedly dealt with attacks involving Ahmed and Kuku.

He cleared Ahmed’s cross from danger after the Al-Shorta player entered the area from the left.

He also covered Kuku’s forward run and helped East Bengal concede only a corner from that move.

East Bengal’s goalkeeper Gill collected Ahmed’s weak cross during another attack.

Jal, meanwhile, continued to intervene at the other end.

He punched away a cross aimed at Jay Gupta at the far post.

He also made the save from Ramirez’s free-kick and then kept out the follow-up before the ball was cleared.

A separate moment saw Jalal go down briefly, after which medical staff attended to him.

Play resumed after the goalkeeper received attention.

East Bengal’s attack continued to search for openings through David, Rashid, Edmund and Ramirez. [S14-S18]

Edmund had an opportunity after receiving a cross from Hardik on the right.

He was positioned at the far post but did not control his shot while falling backwards.

The effort went high and above the target.

Edmund also found the ball later but could not connect properly with his shot, which went wide.

Rashid tried to create opportunities with his movement and passing in the attacking areas.

He played the pass that allowed David to finish East Bengal’s second goal.

He also attempted a low shot after being found by Jay Gupta, but it did not trouble Jalal.

Jeakson Singh won the ball in the centre and tried to launch a counterattack.

His pass, however, did not find a red-and-gold shirt, and Al-Shorta recovered possession.

The result ended with East Bengal ahead 3-2, as recorded by Sportstar’s live-score headline.

What the victory means for Group D

East Bengal’s victory moved the club closer to the leading teams in a group in which the opening results had left the standings tightly placed.

Before the match, Al-Shorta had three points, while East Bengal and Al Hussein had one each.

Al Seeb had not yet collected a point.

The top two teams will qualify for the round of 16.

Trabelsi had said that the teams were not separated by much at the start of the competition and that early points could make a difference.

That context made the result significant for East Bengal, which had dropped points after leading Al Hussein by two goals at half-time in its opening match.

The win also came against an Al-Shorta side that had begun the tournament with a victory over Al Seeb and had entered the match unbeaten in its previous eight matches.

East Bengal now has a win to go with its opening draw.

The club also registered that result in its first home match of the tournament.

The team had to manage periods in which Al-Shorta controlled possession, attacked through the left and tested the defence with corners. [S11, S19-S21]

It also had to cope with the pressure created by the visitors’ equaliser after Ahmed’s header.

The dismissal of Abdoul reduced Al-Shorta to 10 players, giving East Bengal an important advantage during the latter stages.

Habas had called the fixture one of East Bengal’s toughest because of Al-Shorta’s quality.

His team responded after the Shield final defeat with a result that strengthened its position in the Group D race.

The match also gave East Bengal a continental victory at Salt Lake Stadium, where the club had previously lost 3-0 to Kuwait SC in the second leg of the 2013 AFC Cup semifinal.

For Al-Shorta, the defeat ended a match in which the Iraqi side had scored through Kuku and Ahmed while continuing to attack through the left.

Kuku headed the visitors in front after Barco delivered a corner, with the striker meeting the ball at the near post and sending it past Gill.

Ahmed later headed the equaliser from another corner after rising highest in the area.

Hussein also scored an equaliser during the match.

East Bengal’s three goals, including David Lalhlansanga’s two first-half strikes, ultimately produced the 3-2 result recorded in the live score.

The result completed a match in which East Bengal had to recover from the pressure created by Al-Shorta’s possession, set pieces and attacks from the left. [S11, S19-S21]

It also delivered the first win East Bengal had been seeking at the start of the evening.