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The match between East Bengal and Dempo ended in a 2-2 draw:
In the group stage of the AIFF Super Cup 2025-26, the opening match of Group A between East Bengal and Dempo SC concluded with a 2-2 draw. Naorem Mahesh Singh and Miguel Figueira found the net for East Bengal, while Mohammad Ali and Laximanrao Rane scored for Dempo. Despite fielding six foreign players in this match, East Bengal struggled against the foreign-free Dempo. The performance of East Bengal in this match left fans feeling quite disappointed. Consequently, this draw in the initial game of the group stage has significantly diminished East Bengal’s prospects of advancing to the semi-finals. I will discuss the calculations for reaching the semi-finals shortly, but first, let me provide a brief overview of this match.
East Bengal’s starting XI:
The starting eleven for East Bengal in this match included: Debjit Majumder; Anwar Ali, Kevin Sibille, Mohammad Rakip, Jay Guptaa; Naorem Mahesh Singh, Saúl Crespo, Bipin Singh, Mohammed Rashid; Hiroshi Ibusuki, and Hamid Ahadad.
First-half highlights:
East Bengal began the first half positively. In the 2nd minute, Bipin Singh delivered a low cross from the left side of the penalty area to Hiroshi Ibusuki, whose shot struck the crossbar. Following that, East Bengal continued to press, but Dempo took the lead against the run of play in the first half. In the 27th minute, Mohammad Ali scored for Dempo. They earned a free kick on the right side of the field in East Bengal’s half. East Bengal’s goalkeeper, Debjit Majumder, attempted to clear the ball from the free kick but was unsuccessful. Dempo capitalized on this error and scored to take the lead.
Even though Dempo scored first in the first half, East Bengal maintained a significant amount of possession throughout the game. They created several opportunities in the first half but were unable to convert them.
At the conclusion of the first half, the score stood at East Bengal 0 – Dempo 1.
Second-half highlights:
East Bengal leveled the match early in the second half. Naorem Mahesh Singh scored the equalizer for East Bengal in the 46th minute. Initially, Hamid Ahadad’s shot was saved by the Dempo goalkeeper, but when the ball rebounded to Naorem Mahesh Singh, he managed to find the net, beating the Dempo keeper.
In the 57th minute, East Bengal took the lead. Miguel Figueira, who had come on as a substitute, scored a remarkable goal. Another substitute, Lalchungnunga, delivered a brilliant pass from the left wing into the Dempo penalty area, which Miguel Figueira converted with an impressive half-volley from a challenging angle. This marked Miguel Figueira’s first goal for East Bengal.
Shortly after, in the 63rd minute, East Bengal had the chance to extend their lead. Miguel Figueira executed a short corner into the Dempo penalty box for Naorem Mahesh Singh, who made a fantastic cut and unleashed a curling shot, but it unfortunately struck the post.
Despite creating numerous scoring chances, East Bengal could not increase their lead. A one-goal advantage is always precarious, as the opposing team can equalize at any moment, which is exactly what transpired in this match. In the 89th minute of the second half, Dempo equalized with a goal from Laxmiman Rao. After receiving the ball on the right edge of the box, he took a low shot that went past the East Bengal defenders and beat goalkeeper Debjit Majumder into the net.
Following this, neither team managed to score during the 5 minutes of stoppage time in the second half.
Ultimately, the match between East Bengal and Dempo SC ended in a 2-2 draw.
Current points table of Group A:
Now, let’s discuss East Bengal’s journey towards the semi-finals. East Bengal is placed in Group A. On the same day, Mohun Bagan secured a 2-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in another Group A match. In this year’s Super Cup, one team from each group will advance to the semi-finals. Currently, Mohun Bagan leads the group with 3 points after one match, while East Bengal and Dempo are tied for second place with 1 point each, and Chennaiyin FC sits at the bottom.
East Bengal’s ways to qualify for the semi-finals:
Mohun Bagan is set to face Dempo SC in their second group stage match, and Mohun Bagan will likely win, which would bring their points total to 6. East Bengal will compete against Chennaiyin FC in their next match; a loss would be detrimental, and even a draw would not suffice, East Bengal must secure a victory. If they win, East Bengal will accumulate 4 points. In the final group match, East Bengal will take on Mohun Bagan. Therefore, every match is now a knockout for East Bengal. The straightforward calculation is: if East Bengal wins their remaining two group matches, they will become the group champions with 7 points and advance directly to the semi-finals, as Mohun Bagan’s maximum points would then be 6.
However, following a disappointing performance against Dempo, it is hard to envision East Bengal winning two consecutive matches to reach the semi-finals at this point, especially since one of those matches is against Mohun Bagan. Nevertheless, nothing is guaranteed in sports, so we will have to wait and see how it unfolds until the end.
I have uploaded a video on YouTube related to the topic discussed in this blog, and you can find the link to that video here: