Preview: East Bengal, Hyderabad FC aim to get back on track

The Red & Golds will be looking to get some respite for their fans against the mighty Nizams.

East Bengal will take on the pitch in the ISL 2022-23 fixture against the second-placed Hyderabad FC in Kolkata on Friday. After facing two back-to-back losses against Odisha FC and Jamshedpur FC, the latter being a 2-1 defeat at home, the side will be eager to turn their wheels and get at least a point from Friday's fixture. They will also want to finish the league season on a high to give some joy to their fans.

For Hyderabad FC, every game is equivalent to being the final if they intend to finish on top of the table. The side is currently four points behind the table-toppers Mumbai City. Importantly, the Nizams drew their last game against Chennaiyin FC and lost two important points in their table-top chase. Hence, Friday's game is of immense importance for the Nizams in terms of defining their league.

Against such a backdrop, let us take a look at what the encounter has to offer.

The Stakes

East Bengal

East Bengal, despite having their best ISL season, are going through a very bleak one with only four wins from 13 games. The side, thus, will be looking to get as many wins as possible from their remaining tally of league fixtures. For a club with a rich history and a strong fan base, every game is of significant importance, especially when the game is being played in Kolkata. Thus, be it for pride or to keep the faint hope of a top-six finish alive, the Red & Gold Brigade will definitely go all-out against Hyderabad FC on Friday, especially with them having nothing to lose.

East Bengal is currently placed ninth with 12 points from 13 games. The side has won only four matches and lost all of the remaining nine. A win will take them to 15 points but it will not change their position on the table.

Hyderabad FC

Friday's game is extremely important for Hyderabad FC if they want to continue their pursuit of a table-top finish by the season's end. With Mumbai City showing no sign of relenting, Hyderabad can ill afford to lose even a single point on Friday. A win becomes even more desirable for Hyderabad as East Bengal are having a poor season and it will be a setback for the Nizams to not win the game. However, the race at the top is so tight that even a win cannot equal the tally of the Nizams with that of Mumbai, who are currently four points clear at the top.

Hyderabad FC are placed second with 32 points from 14 games. Three points on Friday will take the side to 35 points, keeping them in the same spot.

Injury & Team News

East Bengal have a few niggles in the side meanwhile Hyderabad FC have a fully fit squad.

Head-to-Head

To date, East Bengal and Hyderabad FC have met five times in the ISL.

Played - 5

East Bengal - 0

Hyderabad FC - 3

Drawn - 2

Predicted Line-ups

East Bengal (4-2-3-1)

Suvam Sen (GK); Ankit Mukherjee, Lalchungnunga, Ivan Gonzalez, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Mobashir Rahman, Charalambos Kyriakou; VP Suhair, Alex Lima, Naorem Mahesh Singh; Cleiton Silva

Hyderabad FC (4-2-3-1)

Gurmeet Singh Chahal (GK); Nikhil Poojary, Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Akash Mishra; Hitesh Sharma, Borja Herrera; Mohammad Yasir, Joel Chianese, Halicharan Narzary; Bartholomew Ogbeche

Player to Watch

Cleiton Silva (East Bengal)

Cleiton has been the best player for East Bengal this season. He has been one of the best strikers in the league with the highest number of goals to his name. Currently, he has scored nine goals from 13 appearances.

The Brazilian is on a scoring streak, where he has scored four goals in his last three appearances. Thus, there is no doubt that he will create problems for Hyderabad's defence even if he gets a single chance throughout the game.

Bartholomew Ogbeche (Hyderabad FC)

After having a few subdued games, Ogbeche is back in form. He has scored four goals in his last two games, which includes a hat-trick (against FC Goa). In their last game against Chennaiyin FC, he equalised from a spot kick.

Currently, he is the highest goal scorer for Hyderabad FC with seven goals from 14 appearances. He will be itching to score against East Bengal on Friday to help his team to glory. Definitely, East Bengal defenders cannot afford to offer him exploitable spaces.

Did You Know?

• Hyderabad FC defeated East Bengal in the reverse fixture at Hyderabad by a margin of 2-0.
• Nikhil Poojary of Hyderabad FC is a former East Bengal player, who played for the Red & Golds during their I-League days.
• Hyderabad FC are the current ISL champions.

Telecast

The match between East Bengal and Hyderabad FC will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on January 20th (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.