Kings run riot against Brothers again

Leaders Bashundhara Kings extended their winning run in the Bangladesh Football League with a resounding 5-1 victory over a spirited Brothers Union at the Shaheed Birshreshtha Flight Lt Matiur Rahman Stadium in Munshiganj on Friday.

The fourth successive win strengthened the five-time champions' grip on the top of the 10-team table, taking them to 13 points from five matches. It also preserved their unbeaten record against Brothers Union in professional league encounters -- eight wins and two draws in 10 meetings. Remarkably, since their arrival in the top flight in 2019, Kings have scored five or more goals against Brothers on five occasions, including their biggest victory, a 7-1 rout in the 2023–24 season.

Despite entering the match on the back of a dominant 5-0 win over Rahmatganj, Kings initially struggled to unlock the defence of Brothers Union, bolstered by three foreign recruits and four Nepalese players. Both sides traded blows evenly until Kings struck twice late in the first half and repeated the feat early in the second, taking the game firmly out of Brothers' reach.

After earlier misses from Emmanuel Sunday and Dorielton Gomes, Rakib Hossain took charge of proceedings, providing three assists in Kings' first four goals. His perfectly measured cross from the right found Dorielton, who rose highest to head home in the 41st minute. In stoppage time, Faisal Ahmed Fahim made it 2-0, steering the ball into the top-right corner after Dorielton's effort had been parried by goalkeeper Ishaque Akando.

Kings resumed with purpose as Sunday added a third in the 50th minute, finishing with his left foot from another Rakib cutback. Four minutes later, Rakib again delivered from the right, setting up Sohel Rana Jr, whose effort deflected off a defender into the near post for 4-0. Dorielton then completed his brace in the 77th minute, turning in a long pass from substitute Shahriar Emon to make it 5-0.

Brothers Union salvaged a consolation in the 90th minute through a header from Mojammel Hossain, but it did little to soften the blow of their second defeat in five league outings.