Preview: East Bengal aim to continue momentum against Odisha FC

This has been a high-scoring fixture since 2021.

East Bengal and Odisha FC will be back in action at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday. While East Bengal played last Friday, it has been some time since Odisha FC took the field as their last fixture was on 5th November. Odisha FC have had a good start to the season with three wins in five games. They are currently placed in the sixth position with nine points. On the other hand, East Bengal had a mixed outing so far in the tournament as they have managed to secure only two victories in their six fixtures. With six points, East Bengal is currently in the eighth position on the points table.

It will be an important game for both sides as they will like to win the game to elevate themselves in the table. The match will be in Kolkata and it is expected that fans will come in numbers. Now it has to be seen how East Bengal can cash in on their home support and how Odisha FC can tackle the same.

In light of these, let us take a look at what the encounter has to offer.

The Stakes

East Bengal

Friday's game is of paramount importance for East Bengal. They shall be looking to win the game or at least earn a point in order to push their bid for a top-six finish. The Kolkata Giants will also like to continue the momentum they got from defeating Bengaluru FC at Bengaluru in their last game.

The Red & Golds showcased a gritty, composed performance at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium last week. Fans will be hoping to see a repeat of that performance right in front of their eyes here in Kolkata. Moreover, three points on Friday will equal their tally with fourth-placed FC Goa, with a few games more under their belt.

Odisha FC

Friday's encounter is of huge implications for Odisha FC as well. Even though they had a good start to the season, they lost their last game against Hyderabad FC. Hence, they would be eyeing Friday's match to get back to winning ways. Moreover, Josep Gombau and his men will be aware of East Bengal's inconsistency and would be looking to take advantage of their vulnerabilities to earn three points.

There is no doubt the Kalinga Warriors will go all-out to get three points from Friday's game. They will try to get back their lost momentum as soon as possible. A win on Friday will equal Odisha's tally with the second-positioned Mumbai City.

Team News

For East Bengal, Jerry Lalrinzuala and Amarjit Singh are doubtful due to injury concerns. The rest of the squad is fit! Odisha FC will have a fully fit squad going into the fixture.

Head-to-Head

To date, East Bengal and Odisha FC have met four times in the ISL. Odisha FC have won three of these games while East Bengal have emerged victorious on a solitary occasion.

Probable Line-ups

East Bengal: Kamaljit Singh (GK); Sarthak Golui, Lalchungnunga, Ivan Gonzalez, Ankit Mukherjee, VP Suhair, Jordan O'Doherty, Charalambos Kyriakou, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Semboi Haokip, Cleiton Silva

Odisha FC: Amrinder Singh (GK); Denechandra Meitei, Osama Malik, Carlos Delgado, Sahil Panwar, Raynier Fernandes, Saul Crespo, Thoiba Singh, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Diego Mauricio, Nandhakumar Sekar

Man to Watch

Naorem Mahesh Singh (East Bengal)

Naorem Mahesh has been no short of a revelation for the Red & Golds this season. After spending two seasons with the club, this season seems to be the breakthrough season for the Manipuri winger. He was one of the best players on the pitch in their previous outing against Bengaluru FC. It was his beautifully created move that led to East Bengal's winning goal. There is no doubt that he will be aiming a similar performance on Friday as well.

Nandhakumar Sekar (Odisha FC)

If Naorem Mahesh has been the surprise element for East Bengal this season, it is Nandhakumar Sekar for Odisha FC. He has been a consistent performer for the Juggernauts in all of their games. In their game against Bengaluru FC, it was Nandha who scored the only goal of the game to earn his side three points.

He is looking threatening in every game on Odisha's left flank. He is regularly able to combine with Diego Mauricio and Jerry Mawihmingthanga to create problems for the opposition's backline. Thus, the East Bengal defenders will have to keep an eye on him throughout the game.

Did You Know?

• Two of the highest-scoring matches of ISL were played between East Bengal and Odisha FC. Both the matches ended in favour of Odisha FC with respective scorelines of 6-5 and 6-4.
• At the beginning of the season, there were a lot of speculations about Amrinder Singh joining East Bengal. Ultimately he joined Odisha FC with former Odisha FC goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh opting for East Bengal.
• East Bengal will be playing Odisha FC for the first time at Kolkata.

Telecast

The match between East Bengal and Odisha FC will take place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal, on November 18 (Friday). The kick-off time is 7:30 pm IST. The game will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network. Disney+HotStar and JioTV will also stream the match.