Pune, Oct 23 (IANS) Aké Loba scored a brace while Dani Ramírez, PV Vishnu and Lukasz Zwolinski contributed one goal each as the defending champion East Bengal FC delivered a commanding performance against Inter Kashi, for a convincing 5-1 victory in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026/27 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.
The defending champions made a dominant start, with in-form Ramírez opening the scoring in the 8th minute. Receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area, Ramírez lifted the ball over Albino Gomes to put East Bengal ahead.
The Torchbearers doubled their advantage in the 16th minute through Vishnu, who finished a swift counterattack with a left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner after being set up by Loba.
East Bengal extended their lead in the 22nd minute when Loba converted a penalty, awarded after Ramírez was brought down inside the box by Wayne Vaz. Loba fired a right-footed effort into the top-right corner to open his scoring tally for the season. Inter Kashi pulled one back in the 28th minute after Lalchungnunga scored an own goal, giving the visitors a lifeline.
However, East Bengal continued their attacking approach, with Loba completing his brace to make it 4-1 before half-time.
With the game firmly in the Torchbearers’ hands, head coach Habas made changes at the start of the second half, substituting key players Rashid, Loba and Vipin Singh to avoid injuries and give the young players some minutes.
East Bengal FC adopted a more measured approach, prioritising possession and avoiding unnecessary risks, while Inter Kashi pressed hard in search of a way back into the contest.
Lukasz Zwolinski came off the bench and scored his first goal in the MG ISL for East Bengal FC in the 81st minute, finding the bottom-left corner with a left-footed shot from close range after Christopher Ikonomidis provided the assist.
–IANS
bsk/