In form East Bengal FC look to extend winning run against Sporting Club Delhi

East Bengal are coming on the back of a 3-0 win against Northeast United FC.

Following their win in their first game against Northeast United FC, East Bengal will be back in action for their second game of the 2025/26 ISL season as they host Sporting Club Delhi on an early kick-off at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, on February 21, 2026.

While the hosts are coming off a resounding victory, Tomasz Tchorz’s Sporting Club Delhi is coming from a setback to Bengaluru FC in their debut ISL encounter. As one team wants to extend their winning streak and another one seeks their first win, let’s have a closer look at how things may play out when these two teams meet on Saturday.

The Stakes:

East Bengal FC

East Bengal ran riot over Northeast United FC in their last encounter, winning 3-0 at home in front of nearly 19,000 supporters. Oscar Bruzon’s team was very efficient and succeeded in everything but score in the first half. Everything fell into place in the second half, as they scored three goals to complete the victory.

With the victory, they went to the top of their league, with a better goal difference than rivals Mohun Bagan. With the quality of their starting lineup and the depth of their bench, Oscar Bruzon’s team might fight for the cup if the Spaniard can get his strategies right. With a short season of only 13 games, even one negative performance might give rivals an advantage in the title battle.

At the conclusion of the game, Oscar Bruzon emphasised that their supporters are their team’s primary source of motivation and that having them on board will help them succeed. And, to his benefit, they are playing another home game, with East Bengal looking to take all three points against a somewhat inferior Sporting Club Delhi.

Sporting Club Delhi

Sporting Club Delhi, on the other hand, is coming off a 2-0 away defeat to Bengaluru FC. Although it was the club’s fourth official match, including the three in the 2025–26 AIFF Super Cup, they had not yet recorded a victory. Despite losing against Bengaluru FC, Tomasz Tchorz’s team had encouraging moments.

Despite a respectable showing, their recent game against ISL powerhouse Bengaluru FC demonstrated an obvious quality gap. In terms of both the domestic and international players’ profiles, the majority are very young, fresh to the ISL, and lack senior-level experience.

Even coach Tomasz is in his first year as a full-time head coach at the senior level, with more games, he and his players will only improve. However, with the league being 13 games old, they must be careful not to wind themselves in the relegation zone while settling in.

Team News:

East Bengal have a number of injury problems in their camp, with several important players absent. Argentine defender Kevin Sibille is anticipated to be sidelined for a few weeks. Mohammed Rakip and Naorem Mahesh Singh are yet to eventually arrive at training since they are recovering from minor injuries. Anton Søjberg has arrived in Kolkata and is eager to play.

In contrast, there shouldn’t be any significant injury issues for Sporting Club Delhi. Aimen, who left the field with pain in the previous game, is anticipated to be fit, while new acquisition Ebenezer Amoh will also be available for selection.

Head-to-Head:

Ever since Hyderabad FC have been rebranded as Sporting Club Delhi, this will be the first meeting between the two sides.

Predicted Lineups:

East Bengal FC (4-3-3):

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Lalchungnunga, Jeakson Singh, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta; Moahmmed Rashid, Saul Crespo, Miguel Figueira; Bipin Singh, Youssef Ezzejjari, Edmund Lalrindika;

Sporting Club Delhi (4-4-2):

Vishal Yadav (GK); Lamgoulen Gou Hangshing, Clarence Fernandes, Rafael Ribeiro, Manoj Mohammed; Mohammed Aimen, Mohammed Azhar, Abdul Halik Hudu, Augustine Lalrochana; Matija Babović, Alan Saji;

Players to Watch:

Miguel Figueira – East Bengal FC

While all eyes will be on Spanish attacker Youssef Ezzejjari, one player in the East Bengal team is quietly doing an excellent job in the midfield. The 25-year-old Brazilian midfielder Miguel has proved that he can do it all, whether it’s pushing forward and setting up opportunities for the strikers or sitting back and supporting defensively.

Since his debut in the 2025 Durand Cup, he has contributed six goals in ten appearances for East Bengal across all competitions. He even scored on his ISL debut against Northeast United FC in the last game, and if the East Bengal strikers had been more clinical, he may have had an assist or two. Look out for his moves and beautiful left foot against an inexperienced SC Delhi midfield.

Clarence Fernandes – Sporting Club Delhi

While there has been much chatter about Clarence’s quality and promise since his RFDL days, it appears that the young Indian centre-back has now been given a chance to demonstrate it at the highest level thanks to coach Tomasz Tchorz’s faith. Clarence had a decent game against Bengaluru FC last week, to be fair.

He must exercise even greater caution and focus this time around since Youssef Ezzejjari is in good goal-scoring form. Clarence, with his bulk and height, should play an important part in preventing the Ezzejjari if SC Delhi is to return to Delhi with something.

When and where to watch East Bengal FC vs Sporting Club Delhi in ISL 2025/26?

The 2025/26 ISL match between East Bengal FC and Sporting Club Delhi will be played on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Salt Lake Stadium. The match is set to get underway at 5:00 PM IST. It will be broadcast live on the Sony Ten 2 and streamed digitally via Fancode.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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