IWL 2025-26 Round 7 preview: East Bengal visit Gokulam Kerala FC, Sethu FC face Garhwal United FC test

One final matchweek for East Bengal to defend their IWL crown.

The title race during the 2025-26 season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) enters it final gameweek with action kicking off on Friday. Eight clubs who began their bid for top honours in Round 1 will play their final slot of games as they look to make one final push to rise up the standings.

The season’s first six rounds of scheduled contests have seen a narrowing of margins in the IWL league standings with East Bengal still reigning supreme atop the table. As teams get ready to record three important points in the upcoming rounds, let us take a look at the Round 7 fixtures:

Round 7 Fixtures of IWL 2025-26:

• Kickstart Karnataka FC vs SESA FA
• NITA FA vs Sribhumi FC
• Gokulam Kerala FC vs East Bengal FC
• Sethu FC vs Garhwal United FC

Kickstart Karnataka FC vs SESA FA

The home side will be aiming to finish their season with a flourish with a win over the relegation favorites SESA FA. A win for Kickstart Karnataka FC will be a huge morale boost for a side looking to climb up the standings after a slow start in the IWL.

SESA, who drew 0-0 in their Round 6 game against Gokulam Kerala FC at home, will be looking to record their first win when they visit Kickstart on Friday. A win or a positive result for the home side will allow them to put behind the disappointment of results from earlier rounds and finish strong in their final bow.

NITA FA vs Sribhumi FC

NITA FA will be looking for a quick turnaround following their 2-1 loss away from home against Sethu FC. The third placed club will be aiming to finish higher up the table as three crucial points are at stake when they face Sribhumi FC in their final game.

Sribhumi FC will be playing their sixth and possibly final game of the campaign on Friday as they look to leapfrog NITA FA in the IWL standings. The visitors are flying high this season, after coming off a 3-0 win over Garhwal United FC in Round 6. A win would see Sribhumi finish third in the IWL standings depending on results in other games.

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Gokulam Kerala FC vs East Bengal FC

Gokulam Kerala FC will be looking to have a say in the IWL title race when they face East Bengal on Friday. The visitors will be keen to turn the opportunity to hamper their rival’s title bid, having drawn 0-0 in their last game against SESA FA.

East Bengal will looking to build on their strong performances in the past three weeks as they look to win their title with another dominant performance. The Torchbearers are coming off a dominant 0-5 win away from home at Kickstart Karnataka FC. They will be keen to end their season with a huge win over their former title rivals.

Sethu FC vs Garhwal United FC

The home side will be looking to end their campaign by putting their best foot forward when they face Garhwal United FC on Friday. An important clash which has huge IWL title ramifications for the home side, Sethu FC will be keeping a close eye on the Gokulam-East Bengal clash simultaneously.

Garhwal United FC will be keen to throw a spanner in the IWL title race as they look to finish the season strong with three points at stake. The visitor’s early strong start has worked in their favor this season as they struggled for points towards the end of Round 6. It will be an interesting clash between two sides as they remain keen to give a good account of themselves in Round 7.

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