ISL 2025-26: Oscar Bruzon stays optimistic ahead East Bengal FC vs Bengaluru FC clash

East Bengal will lock horns against Bengaluru FC at the Saltlake Stadium.

East Bengal FC are poised to face off against one of the contenders of the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) title, Bengaluru FC , in their upcoming match on Thursday, 16 April 2026. The match is scheduled to take place at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), Kolkata, at 7:30 PM IST.

The Red and Gold Brigade would like to continue their winning run in this year’s ISL after thrashing Mohammedan SC 7-0 in the mini Kolkata derby and Chennaiyin FC 3-1 in Chennai in their first away fixture of the season last week.

The Torchbearers after winning two matches in a row have gained some momentum and are back in the race of winning the ISL title this year. So they’ll be determined to continue with this momentum and make a statement of intent on their title aspirations against the former ISL champions.

Ahead of the all-important clash, East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon and Bipin Singh have addressed the media.

Here is a detailed report of the pre-match press conference between East Bengal FC and Bengaluru FC.

Views on AIFF and Referee’s Decisions

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon reacts after the AIFF Disciplinary Committee downgraded the red card of Bengaluru FC midfielder Braian Sanchez to a yellow card just 24 hours before the match against East Bengal FC. The red card was given to him during the last match of Bengaluru FC against Kerala Blasters FC. As a result, Sanchez is now eligible for selection in the Blues for the upcoming match against the Red and Gold Brigade.

Oscar stated, “Subho Noboborsho, Happy Bengali New Year to everyone. First of all, I want to wish a speedy recovery to Mahesh, as he got injured during our last match against Chennaiyin FC and will be out for the remainder of the season. He is not only an important player for us but also a leader on and off the field. Now, coming to your question, the decision against Sanchez was taken by the referee directly during the match, and he was shown a red card.

It is not acceptable that is just 24 hours before the next match the decision has been revoked. For the last six days, we have been practising for this match. We have done a detailed analysis of our opponent, made our strategies accordingly, and we made our plans keeping in mind that Sanchez will not play against us. But now we have come to know that Sanchez will play against us, which is unacceptable; this makes the league less professional. I believe in integrity, and as a professional coach, I expect professionalism from the authority as well.“

“When a match ends, the decisions taken during that match should stay with that match only. Everyone makes mistakes- players, coaches, referees. You all have seen what happened in the last match of one of the league’s title contenders this year. In the last few minutes of the match, the referee made a very wrong decision inside the penalty box, and that team finished the match with all three points. It is a part of the game of football, and we need to understand that sometimes referees can also make errors on the field, he also added.”

What to expect from East Bengal against the Blues

Oscar Bruzon shares his viewpoints and their preparations for the all important clash against a tough opponent like Bengaluru FC.

The Spanish Gaffer stated: “I think everything is going very well for us currently, according to the plan. We are on a good note. We are evaluating all the metrics, everything is very positive, and so far, so good for us now. We are scoring goals, conceding fewer goals, kept three clean sheets so far. In our last match, three Indian players of our team made their way into the scoresheet as well. But the match against Bengaluru FC will be a tough one for us.

Bengaluru is coming here after a defeat, with a new coach as well. We would also like to have three wins in our bag, but in case we can’t get all three points from the match, we would try to get at least one point. It is not a do-or-die match for us; the league continues for us. Our next match will be against Odisha FC. Yes, a win will consolidate our position in the points table, but if not, a draw will also work for us. As I have told we want to focus game by game. In the last few weeks, we have worked really hard, gained that fluidity in our attack, analysed our opponent well, and played according to our strengths.”

“Yes, Sunil can be a factor, but at the same time, Saul, Youssef, Vishnu, and Edmund can also be factors, and I believe in my other players; everyone is very important. We played one of our best games last year here against Bengaluru FC, and Sunil earned a penalty during the last few minutes of the game from a foul made by Nishu Kumar. So we know how Sunil can change the game, he can be a differential player, can create impact on other players, can boost the, but we are ready for the challenge, he also added”

On playing three defenders and game plan against Bengaluru attack

Oscar stated, “I am very happy that sometimes you also ask some technical and tactical questions. Some people still believe in a primitive style of football and play with players in their familiar positions. So we have different plans for Ashique Kuruniyan and other differential players of Bengaluru. But I am not gonna disclose the plan, so if we need to counterpress, or play defensively, we will do so according to the nature of the game. In our last match against Chennaiyin, a gap was created between our defenders and midfielders, so we have worked on that and will try to rectify it during the match against Bengaluru FC. We will go for all three points, depending on the different formations of the players and let’s see what kind of challenge is waiting for us tomorrow.”

“Yes, the weather in Chennai was very humid. In the last match, we played a good brand of football in the first few minutes of the game. After that, we lost possession, but again in the last few minutes of the game, we came back into the game, scored and won the game. So, as I told you, a gap was created between the midfield and the defence line in the last match. We need to stay focused and adjust accordingly, and we want to play positive football. If counterattack works for us, we will do that, maintaining the shape of our defence line.”

“We will keep making changes to our playing eleven. As I don’t believe in primitive football. I will experiment with players in different positions. We are a team that believes in fluidity, attack, and defence. So first we will analyse the strengths of our opponent and play according to our plan. Yes, we will attack through our wings, midfield, maintaining the shape of our defence line. We are aware of their wing and midfield attack, we have specific plans for specific differential players of our opponent, and we are ready to take up this challenge, he also added.”

Bruzon on Dressing Room Atmosphere

Oscar Bruzon also shared his thoughts on the positive atmosphere of the East Bengal dressing room ahead of Bengaluru FC clash.

The Gaffer stated: “You can ask all the players, they can answer this question better than I. But if you ask me, I can tell you that this year the atmosphere inside the dressing room is very positive and competitive. There is no room for outside noise inside the dressing room.

This type of outside news, rumours are always an integral part of a club like East Bengal, where everyone tries to give their suggestions and think themselves as one of the best strategists of the game and want to be in the limelight.

We know very well where we are standing at the moment, and we respect that environment. I don’t have any problem with the outside opinions-they are a part of this game. But I can assure you guys that the atmosphere inside our dressing room this year is very positive, healthy, determined and competitive.”

“I can understand the expectations of the fans, but we have a very competitive calendar this year. We will play Bengaluru, Odisha, Mumbai, Punjab, and Mohun Bagan in the next few of our matches, which will be a challenge for us. But again, it is a good opportunity for us to play against some of the best teams in the country at present. We will try to give our best, win these matches and make our fans happy.”

“Yes this season the referees are showing fewer cards, I am happy with that. This is making the game more competitive. And I am happy that different players from different positions are scoring goals for us in every match. This proves that we are on the right track and playing according to our strengths, he finished off.”

Bipin Singh warns East Bengal to be wary of Bengaluru threat ahead of big ISL 2025-26 clash

Bipin Singh one of the experienced campaigner of the league shares his views and preparation of the team ahead of the all important ISL 2025-26 home match of East Bengal against Bengaluru FC. He will be playing his 150th ISL match on Thursday at the Saltlake Stadium.

Bipin stated, “Bengaluru FC is a very good team. They had very good players; many players are also currently playing in the National team. It will not be an easy game for us, but we are ready for the challenge. Our coach has specific plans for this match, and we are only following those strategies and working accordingly.”

“Every point from hereon is very important, so scoring goals in every match will be important. We need to be focused, as this match will be a tough one for us; conceding goals will make it more difficult for us, so we can’t take them lightly. We can’t lose points at this juncture of the league. Sunil bhai (Sunil Chhetri) is a very good player, you all know, so we need to play really well to win this match as we are playing for the Championship, and we are ready for the challenge.”

“My journey has been really good so far in Indian Football. I had played for 5 years in the I-League under Thangboi Singto. Then I came to the ISL and played under a lot of different coaches. Never thought of playing for so long because at that time I was very young, but I kept on playing, and now here it is where I am standing now. I am really thankful to all my coaches and want to dedicate my success to them. I want to continue playing in this league and win trophies for my team, he finished off.”

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