India, Feb. 16 -- Two successive Durand Cup titles had made the Salt Lake stadium a happy hunting ground for NorthEast United. But on Monday, and without their talismanic goalscorer Allaaedine Ajaraie, they found East Bengal too hot to handle in what was the Indian Super League (ISL) season opener for both teams.

The first round of matches have not yet finished but with the 3-0 win - the biggest margin of victory five matches into the season - East Bengal have shown that after years of underwhelming performance, including six defeats to start 2024-25, their time to be back among Indian football elite may have arrived. With a high line, high press and a bench that should serve them well in this short season, East Bengal won their first ma...