East Bengal suffered their second consecutive loss when FC Goa won 1-0 in the ISL-X match at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Wednesday.
Striker Noah Sadaoui picked up form just at the right time to help his team win for the first time since the resumption of the league after the mid-season break.
The Manolo Marquez-coached side cracked through the East Bengal defence in some style, and they were more dominant in the proceedings than what the scoreline suggests.
Noah broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute, but he and Carlos Martinez created plenty of chances before that.
Martinez has been in good form in the last two matches. On Wednesday, he found a way past the East Bengal backline that struggled for coordination, setting the assist for Noah, who hammered the ball into the net from a narrow position from the left flank.
The loss has jeopardised East Bengal’s chances of earning a playoff berth. They are three points behind (18) the sixth-placed Bengaluru FC (21), with both sides having played an equal number of games (18).