East Bengal FC 4-0 Bashundhara Kings Highlights, AFC Challenge League: Red & Gold Brigade Notch Up Huge Win; BKS Knocked Out

The Group A encounter will kick off at 8:30pm IST, and can be live streamed on the Paro FC YouTube channel in India, and the Tsports network in Bangladesh. It will not be live telecast on any TV channel in India.

Matchday 2 is coming up in Bhutan's capital city for East Bengal. Interestingly, the team's coach Oscar Bruzon has previously managed Bashundhara Kings, and thus has plenty of experience with the players that his side will face tonight. Can he help East Bengal with a winning strategy, based on his prior knowledge of their opponents? We shall find out soon.

Both teams' starting line-ups have been revealed:

East Bengal FC: Gill (GK), Anwar Ali, Lalchungnunga, Hijazi, Hector Yuste, Madih Talal, Souvik Chakrabarti, Nandhakumar Sekar, Naorem Mahesh, Saul Crespo (c), Diamantakos.

Bashundhara Kings: Anisur (GK), Jumaev, Barman (c), Saad, Kazi, Sohel, MD Sohel, Jonathan Reis, Rakib, Fahim, Valerii.

The match is kicked off in Thimphu, and it's a superb start for East Bengal! Dimitrios Diamantakos finds the back of the net in the very first minute. He now has goals in three back-to-back games for EBFC. After a swift charge upon kick-off, Lalchungnunga sends in a neat cross into the box, which is not intercepted by anyone at first. The ball lands in Diamantakos' way, and he turns first time to drill it in.

Rattled early, Bashundhara Kings try to hold on to possession for some time. East Bengal look hungrier tonight, and in the mood for a goalfest. Nandhakumar Sekar comes up with a searing run down the centre and takes a left-footed shot at goal. Bashundhara keeper Anisur just about manages to keep it out, parrying it in front but out of any East Bengal player's reach.

The Red and Gold Brigade score again! It is Souvik Chakrabarti's chance to create some magic, as the midfielder connects beautifully from his left foot to send the ball soaring into the top left corner of the net.

East Bengal are rampant! Nandhakumar joins the party now. He enters the box from the left flank and dodges the Bashundhara defender marking him to unleash a low shot into the goal. This could become a rout very soon.

It is a night for left-footed stunners. After Souvik Chakrabarti's screamer earlier, Anwar Ali now conjures a breathtaking left-footer from outside the box that beats the Bashundhara goalie all ends up. The ball trickled out from the box and fell kindly in front of Ali, whose strike would have beaten most keepers on the planet. East Bengal are four ahead with more than 10 minutes still to come in the first half.

While the clubs from neighbouring sub-continental nations battle it out in Bhutan, the Asian Football Confederation has announced its annual awards. Qatar international Akram Afif and Japan's Seike Kiko have been awarded as the best Asian men’s and women’s football players respectively in Seoul. Home hero Son Heung-min is named the International Player of the Year and Australian Ellie Carpenter wins the women’s award.

The eventful first half comes to an end. The Red and Gold Brigade have run their Bangladeshi opponents ragged, pouncing on most major opportunities to end up well in charge of this clash. Though you never know what can happen in football, it is hard to see any outcome other than an East Bengal win from here. What remains to be seen is East Bengal's margin of victory, and whether Bashundhara Kings can mount a comeback from here. Stay tuned for the imminent second half.

The second half gets underway, and East Bengal are on the prowl straight away. Oscar Bruzon's wards are now attacking from left to right. The Red and Gold Brigade are eyeing more goals as they could be invaluable in the latter stages of the league.

The pace of the game is not as frenetic as it was in the first half. East Bengal sitting pretty after slotting in four goals, and the onus now on Bashundhara Kings to turn things around. They create a strong chance to score their first goal, but Anwar Ali intervenes at just the right moment in the East Bengal D to keep the Bangladeshi club at bay.

Bashundhara Kings squander a great chance to score their first goal. Miguel has plenty of space in front of goal to head Saad Uddin’s cross, but his attempt goes wide of goal.

Anwar Ali cramps his leg and there is a small hold-up. The India and East Bengal defender walks off the field and play resumes.

Bashundhara get a free kick from a potentially dangerous position. But nothing comes off it as the weak kick is cleared. Another massive chance comes their way and Miguel's shot hits the frame of the East Bengal post. Unlucky for the Bangladesh club.

Anwar Ali with a searching run from the right and sends a cross in, but it is intercepted in time by a Bashundhara defender. Meanwhile, five minutes of stoppage time added to the match.

And that's that. It's full time at the Changlimithang Stadium, and East Bengal have clinched their first win of the season across all competitions. The Bashundhara Kings, on the other hand, are knocked out of the AFC Challenge League with back-to-back defeats.

Dimitrios Diamantakos opened the floodgates in the very first minute with a goal that took Bashundhara Kings aback. A half hour of misery followed for the Bangladesh club as East Bengal pumped in three more goals form three different players - Nandhakumar, Souvik and Anwar Ali. That, pretty much signalled the outcome of the match. You can read more in the match report here.

After tonight's victory, East Bengal are placed second in Group A with four points, while the eliminated Bashundhara Kings are at the bottom of the four-team group with no points so far. The Red and Gold Brigade will next take on Nejmeh SC on Friday, November 1, while Bashundhara will play for pride against host team Paro FC, also on November 1.