The East Bengal will face a tough task as they will play against FC Goa at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Friday, September 27, 2024. Carles Cuadrat's team will look to find the first win of the 2024-25 season, distressed by two successive defeats in the Indian Super League (ISL). The pressure on the team and management was increasing; a win was needed to soothe the frayed nerves of fans and management. FC Goa, however, has also been on a poor run of form and will need a win to get some momentum going in early stages. With both teams looking out for their maiden points, this clash is likely to be an electrifying contest.
East Bengal's Struggles
East Bengal's coach, Carles Cuadrat, has been under pressure after the side suffered two consecutive losses at the start of the ISL season. This match will be one that restores belief and excitement for the passionate East Bengal fans in Carles and his players. Of course, the crowd at Salt Lake is going to have a massive influence, and Carles is going to expect his team to channel all that from the crowd into bagging their first win.
East Bengal need to be a bit more clinical in front of the goal and work on their concentration for a ninety minutes marathon. Sloppy defensive mistakes and missing opportunities have gone against them till now, and if that does not change soon, the pressure will only increase. A win would revive the team and keep the pressure growing for consistency from hereon. Loss would further a precarious tenure for Cuadrat.
Quest for consistency FC Goa
Manolo Marquez, the head coach of FC Goa, too has been battling it out due to his holding dual roles of the FC Goa and Indian national team manager. FC Goa have so far begun their ISL season in an uninspired manner that saw them struggle in attacking plays as they are supposed to. Yet, Marquez' side hasn't found its rhythm but looks dangerous enough to turn things on with one good performance against East Bengal.
FC Goa will be eyeing to correct the defensive frailties and finally find some form in the final third of the pitch. A win here may prove to be the perfect start to the campaign for them, turning them into one of the contenders, but the opposite will keep them relegated at the end of the table and further frustrate the fans.
Team News and Injury Updates
East Bengal
East Bengal Injury Worries Ahead of this match, East Bengal has a few injuries that the team needs to worry about. Dimitrios Diamantakos is likely to be slight doubtful for the game. Besides him, Nishu Kumar and Provat Lakra are also doubtful for the game. Apart from them, captain Saul Crespo is suffering from dengue and hence would be ruled out of contention for the game.
FC Goa
Injuries to Sandesh Jhingan and midfielder Iker Guarrotxena keep missing for FC Goa, with the former and the latter rated as doubtful for the game. In their absence, the match day might be faced with a possible deficiency on the defensive and creative front in midfield, which makes it an easier game for East Bengal.
Head-to-Head Record
The last games between the two teams were dominated by FC Goa; however, it won only two out of eight games. East Bengal had also emerged successful only once, while two games went into draws. Although the previous games saw the side as the major dominator, the current form of FC Goa was anything but good, which might enable East Bengal to win and change the trend.
Predicted Lineups
East Bengal (4-3-3):
Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohammad Rakip, Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Mark Zothanpuia; Jeakson Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Madih Talal; PV Vishnu, Nandhakumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva.
FC Goa (4-2-3-1):
Laxmikant Kattimani (GK); Udanta Singh, Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Jay Gupta; Rowllin Borges, Borja Herrera; Boris Singh, Dejan Drazic, Brison Fernandes; Armando Sadiku.
Telecast Information
The much-anticipated clash between East Bengal and FC Goa is scheduled to take place at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, home of Kolkata, on Friday, September 27, 2024, with a kick-off time at 7:30 PM IST. Sports 18 and Jio Cinema have acquired live rights for the same in India, while OneFootball will host it in other parts of the world.
A Must-Win for Both Teams
On the back of two successive losses, both East Bengal and FC Goa are desperate to end the losing streak as soon as possible in ISL 2024-25. Cuadrat and Marquez's pressure build-up will be an interesting one to watch, more so because East Bengal will pray on home support to get over it, and FC Goa will look up for the lethal attacking touch that has eluded them once again to collect a much-needed win.
