Kolkata, February 27 – Substitute Rei Tachikawa scored a stunning late goal to help Jamshedpur FC secure a comeback victory in their first away match of the season, defeating East Bengal FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday.
In what turned out to be one of the most exciting matches so far, the "Men of Steel" showed remarkable resilience to overturn the deficit and registered their third consecutive win, defeating the Kolkata side in their own stadium.
Jamshedpur started brightly, pressing forward with intent from the opening minutes. Messi Bouli had the ball in the net early, but was ruled offside. Soon after, Vincy Barretto burst down the right wing and tested the goalkeeper, who managed to deflect his shot away.
The "Men of Steel" continued to press, with Nikola Stojanovic trying his luck from outside the box with a powerful shot that was comfortably handled by the East Bengal goalkeeper after a well-organized attacking build-up. With Sanan Mohammed and Vincy Barretto stretching the play on the flanks and Madih Talal linking the attack through the middle, Jamshedpur looked sharp in attack while remaining organized at the back.
However, the hosts struck in the 41st minute to take the lead, forcing Jamshedpur to regroup before the break.
The second half resumed with Jamshedpur showing urgency in search of an equaliser. Stephen Eze produced a crucial sliding clearance early in the half to deny a dangerous East Bengal attack, before almost scoring himself. From a free kick, Eze powered a header towards the far post, but the East Bengal goalkeeper managed to push the ball away.
The equaliser finally came soon after when Eze rose highest from a corner to head the ball into the net, bringing Jamshedpur level and setting up an intense final stretch.
With momentum on their side, the "Men of Steel" launched wave after wave of attacks. Madih Talal forced a diving save from the goalkeeper before Messi Bouli saw his angled attempt parried away. At the other end, goalkeeper Albino Gomes kept Jamshedpur in the contest with a strong punch to deny a close-range effort as the match turned into an end-to-end affair in Kolkata.
Jamshedpur maintained long spells of possession late in the match, patiently probing for an opening. The decisive moment arrived in the 87th minute when substitute Rei Tachikawa made his impact. After a slick exchange of passes, Sanan Mohammed found the Japanese midfielder, who curled a superb shot into the top far corner to give Jamshedpur the lead.
The visitors then held firm through seven minutes of added time to seal a memorable victory, completing a spirited comeback and continuing their impressive run of form in the league.
The "Men of Steel" will next face Inter Kashi at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on March 6.
