ISL 2023-24: East Bengal eye winning return against high-flying FC Goa

FC Goa have two wins in two games

The Indian Super League returns to action following a 12-day international break and takes us to Bhubaneswar as East Bengal hosts an inform FC Goa at Kalinga Stadium. There have been contrasting starts to the league for both sides.

This fixture has produced some iconic moments, drama and a lot of goals over the last three seasons. On that note, let us look at how things stand ahead of this high-voltage clash in Bhubaneswar.

The Stakes

East Bengal FC

It has been a decent start in the ISL for the Red and Gold Brigade. They have won, drawn and lost one game each in three matches so far. They come into this game after a hard-fought 2-1 defeat to Bengaluru FC.

The Kolkata Giants have a strong home record this season as they accumulated all of their four points at home. They currently find themselves seventh on the league table and are tied on points with three other teams.

FC Goa

FC Goa have had a dream start to their ISL Campaign having won all of their matches so far. The Guars won their opening game 1-0 against Punjab FC before registering an iconic comeback 3-2 win against Odisha FC.

They are only the second team that has won all of their opening games this season. Manolo Marquez’s side has been in great form and will only get better with time. They sit comfortably at the third position on the table with six points to their name.

Team News

Both sides are expected to have a fully fit squad going into the game.

Head-To-Head

East Bengal and FC Goa have played each other six times. FC Goa have won three games, East Bengal has won one and two matches ended in a draw.

Predicted Lineups

East Bengal FC (4-2-3-1)

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohamad Rakip, Harmanjot Khabra, Jose Pardo, Mandar Rao Dessai, Saul Crespo, Souvik Chakrabarti, Borja Herrera, Nandhakumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva, Naorem Mahesh Singh.

FC Goa (4-2-3-1)

Dheeraj Singh (GK), Seriton Fernandes, Odei Onaindia, Sandesh Jhingan, Saviour Gama, Raynier Fernandes, Carl McHugh, Brandon Fernandes, Udanta Singh, Noah Sadaoui, Carlos Martinez

Players to watch

Cleiton Silva (East Bengal FC)

The Brazilian has been in top form this season. He is East Bengal’s captain and has led from the front. Cleiton has displayed all-round performances so far which have been very beneficial for East Bengal.

He scored twice in their first campaign win against Hyderabad FC and helped them come back from behind. Silva scored a late free-kick goal and handed his side their first win of the 2023-24 season.

Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa)

Noah has picked up from where he left off last season. He has been an instrumental player in Manolo Marquez’s setup at FC Goa. The Moroccan winger has lit up the league with his heroics on the pitch.

Noah inspired FC Goa to an incredible comeback against Odisha FC in Gameweek 3. He scored a brace as FC Goa came back from behind to register a 3-2 win at their fortress.

Did You Know?

• FC Goa completed a league double over East Bengal last season
• The fixture averages almost four goals per match
• East Bengal have a 100% record at home this season

Telecast

The kick-off for the East Bengal vs FC Goa game is at 5:30 PM IST. The match will be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The live broadcast and live streaming of the game will be available on the Sports18 Network (Sports18 1 Channel/VH1 Channel) and JioCinema app, respectively. Viewers from abroad can tune into OneFootball for exclusive streaming.