East Bengal beaten 3-2 by 10-man Al Shorta after Lalhlansanga brace in ACL2 opener

East Bengal lost 3-2 to Iraq’s Al Shorta in their AFC Champions League Two opener on Tuesday after surrendering a 2-0 first-half lead, and could not overturn the deficit even after the visitors were reduced to 10 men late in the game.

East Bengal’s return to continental football featured a double from David Lalhlansanga — strikes in the eighth minute and just before half-time — but the Kolkata club conceded three times after the interval in Asia’s second-tier club competition.

The match opened with Lalhlansanga finishing from close range in the eighth minute after receiving a pass from Hardik Bhatt on the right and turning toward goal to beat Al Shorta goalkeeper Jalal Hassan. Six minutes later, Ruben Ramrez swung a looping ball from the right and Ahmed Yahya met it with a downward header to level the score at 1-1.

Jalal Hassan produced a one-handed save from a 35-yard attempt by Lal Chungnunga in the 21st minute and then denied Lalhlansanga’s follow-up half-volley. Five minutes before the interval, after Hassan parried a Daniel Ramirez free-kick, East Bengal captain Basim Rashid recovered near the byline and back-heeled the ball to Lalhlansanga, who finished into an unguarded net to make it 2-1.

Al Shorta struck early after the break, with Yahya working down the left and sending a cross that allowed Hussein Al Saedi to tap in and restore parity within six minutes of the restart. The visitors completed their turnaround in the 53rd minute when Kingsley Kuku powered a header from a corner that deflected off Prabhsukhan Singh’s arm and crossed the line for a 3-2 lead.

East Bengal pressed for an equaliser, but Jalal Hassan produced two more saves in the 67th minute to keep out efforts from Edmund Lalrindika and Lalhlansanga. The defending proved decisive as the hosts were unable to find the required finish despite sustained pressure.

Al Shorta were reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute after Abdoul Moumouni received a second yellow card for a challenge on Jay Gupta, giving East Bengal a numerical advantage late on; a Kingsley Kuku strike on the stroke of full-time was ruled out for offside and the visitors held on for the win.

The defeat leaves East Bengal with work to do as they continue their campaign in the AFC Champions League Two, while Al Shorta take three points following their second-half recovery.