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New Delhi: East Bengal slumped to a 2-0 loss to defending champions Wuhan Jiangda in their second AFC Women's Champions League Group B match in Wuhan, China, on Thursday.
The reigning Indian Women's League winners had beaten IR Iran's Bam Khatoon FC 3-1 in their first game, but conceded twice in the first half at the Hankou Cultural Sports Centre.
Wang Shuang scored a brace (8', 17' p) to confirm three points for Jiangda, who moved to the top of the group with four points after a 1-1 draw with Uzebkistan's PFC Nasaf in their opening match.
East Bengal are second with three points and could progress to the quarter-finals if they avoid defeat with a margin of more than two goals against Nasaf on November 23.
The top two teams of three groups and two best third-placed sides will advance to the knock-outs of the competition.
Jiangda put EB under pressure early in the contest as Deng Mengye burst through after latching onto Wang Shuang's through ball but shot straight into keeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu.
A minute later the hosts were up by a goal as Wang Shuang met Song Fei's cross from the left to tuck home past a diving Panthoi.
The visitors were unable to shake off the setback as 10 minutes later they conceded a penalty that was awarded a VAR review, when Panthoi brought down Wang Shuang inside the area.
Shuang, the 2018 AFC Women's Footballer of the Year, then picked herself up and assuredly converted from the spot.
East Bengal could have reduced the margin had Soumya Guguloth not flashed her attempt over the bar in the 23rd minute.
On the other end, Panthoi was busy to foil attack after another as Owusu was denied two times on either side of the break.
