East Bengal took the lead in the 12th minute through Mohamad Bashim Rashid before Daniel Ramirez scored the equaliser from the penalty spot. But Kevin Sibille scored at the stroke of half-time before captain Saul Crespo sealed the match in the 71st minute for Oscar Bruzon’s men.
The match began with both sides tense and cautious, feeling their way through a nervy opening. Punjab carved out the first big chance when Pramveer connected with a cross inside the tenth minute, only for his header to be skewed wide. Missing suspended defender Muhammed Uvais, Punjab looked slightly unsettled at the back, something East Bengal quickly exploited.
In the 12th minute, East Bengal struck from a cleverly worked short corner. Miguel Ferreira’s floated delivery was half-cleared, but it dropped perfectly for Mohamad Bashim Rashid just outside the box. Controlling the ball with an immaculate first touch, he fired a low, powerful shot that squirmed under goalkeeper Muheet Shabir’s glove. It was Rashid’s first goal for the club, and it lifted the Red and Golds into full control.
The goal jolted Punjab to life, and they pushed forward with greater intent. Their equaliser arrived in the 34th minute, courtesy of East Bengal’s own lapse. An innocuous aerial ball into the box led to a defensive error as Ricky Shabong’s header struck Bipin Singh’s arm inside the area, leaving the referee with little choice but to point to the spot. Daniel Ramirez stepped forward and dispatched the penalty with calm precision, sending East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill the wrong way. Punjab were level, and momentum briefly tilted.
But East Bengal refused to crumble. Instead, they doubled down on their set-piece threat. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Ferreira delivered another sumptuous corner from the left, and this time Kevin Sibille soared above his marker to thump home a towering header. The celebrations were wild — wild enough for East Bengal coach Oscar Bruzon to receive a second yellow card for over-enthusiasm.
The second half saw East Bengal grow increasingly authoritative. They should have extended their advantage in the 56th minute, when Bipin Singh darted down the left and unleashed a fierce shot that Shabir palmed away. Hiroshi Ibusuki arrived at the far post but couldn’t steer his header on target.
Punjab, meanwhile, tried to find inroads through Suhail and Ramirez but struggled to beat East Bengal’s disciplined defensive block.
The killer blow arrived in the 71st minute, through a moment of brilliance from Ferreira. Making his way past multiple Punjab defenders inside the area, he squared the ball for captain Saul Crespo, who guided a precise left-footed strike into the bottom corner. At 3–1, Punjab’s hopes evaporated.
East Bengal nearly added a fourth when Ferreira outfoxed Punjab defenders again before sending his effort inches wide. Punjab’s last chance came late on when Ramirez released Bede Amarachi Osuji, but the Nigerian’s shot was straight into Gill’s gloves.
At the final whistle, the Red and Golds embraced one another, knowing they had earned their place in yet another final.
