Punjab FC vs East Bengal FC lineups, team news, prediction and preview

Punjab FC will take on the Red and Gold Brigade on match week 23 in ISL.

The race for the top six spots are heating up and both of these teams are in contention to make it in the top the top six in the 2024-25 Indian Super League. Recently both teams are going through some tough times and some injuries have made the job even more difficult for these teams.

Every match counts for both of these teams as other teams are also looking to book their slot as soon as possible. Each point and each goal will matter from now on and they can’t afford to drop it, as the Red and Gold Brigade will travel to Delhi to face the Shers.

The Stakes

Punjab FC

The Shers will be very disappointed after the last match against Chennaiyin FC as they had plenty of opportunity to score goals in the second half to seal the three points for them. But poor finishing and defending cost them, as they will look to bounce back at their home when they lock horns against Bruzon’s men.

Currently, they are placed in the ninth spot and a string of good results will push them to high positions but at the same time, they will hope that other teams drop points. Overall this season has been full of ups and downs for the Shers as they were flying high in the first half of the season and now are struggling to perform consistently. If they fail to win this fixture against East Bengal surely their chances will be gone to make it into the top six.

East Bengal FC

Injuries and individual mistakes have cost East Bengal FC a lot and made the job of coaching staff very difficult. They will have to win each and every fixture which is left to be played then only they will have some changes to make it.

Even though Bruzon is very confident of his team and surely will hope the team fans to keep supporting them. After a good win over old rival Mohammedan SC, they will be looking to keep their positive momentum against the Shers. Every fixture will be a do-or-die situation for the Red and Gol Brigade.

Injury and Team News

The home side most probably will have all players available for selection as there are no injury concerns for them. On the other side, the Red and Gold Brigade Richard Celis is doubtful for the match, the rest of the players are fit to play.

Head-to-Head

Games Played: 11

Punjab FC: 2

East Bengal FC: 5

Draws: 4

Predicted Lineups

Punjab FC (4-2-3-1):

Ravi Kumar (GK), Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Ivan Novoselec, Tekcham Abhishek Singh, Leon Augustine, Ricky Shabong, Nikhil Prabhu, Muhammad Suhail, Ezequiel Vidal, Asmir Suljic Petros Giakoumakis

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

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Nishu Kumar, Hector Yuste, Lalchungunga, Nandha Kumar Sekar, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Souvik Chakrabarti, Messi Bouli, David Lalhlansanga, PV Vishnu, Dimitri Diamantakos

Players to Watch

Petros Giakoumakis (Punjab FC)

Giakoumakis was brought in as a replacement for Mushaga Bakenga and till now he has performed well for the team. Even though he missed some easy chances to score in the last match but still the head coach still has full trust in him. He has adapted very fast to his team and surely he will be a big threat to the away team’s defence.

With his smart runs, he is able to create chances for his teammates and he has also got decent finishing ability. The Shers are going through some tough times and surely the Greek talisman is someone who can make the difference on the pitch.

Messi Bouli (East Bengal FC)

This is his second stint in India as he played for Kerala Blasters a few seasons ago under Eelco Schattorie. In the last match in the absence of Celis, he performed really well and helped his team to get all three points in the derby.

Oscar Bruzon knows very well how to bring out the best performance from his players and surely Messi has a lot of quality and is capable of making a difference on the pitch. Messi with his dribbling skills and pace can make things very difficult for any team’s defence. He will be a big test for the Shers in the upcoming fixture.

Did you Know?

• The winner of the last meeting was East Bengal FC
• When East Bengal leads 0-1 away, they win in 50% of their matches.
• The average number of goals in meetings between Punjab FC and East Bengal is 2.8

Telecast

The Punjab FC vs East Bengal FC match will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Wednesday (22nd February 2025). The game will kick off at 05:00 PM IST.

The match will be live on the Sports 18 and Star Sports 3 networks. It will also be streamed online on Jio Cinema. International viewers can also watch the game on One Football App.

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