Super Cup 2025-26 Semifinal 1: East Bengal vs Punjab FC Preview, team news, lineups & prediction

East Bengal have the upper hand against Punjab FC in the head-to-head battle.

East Bengal and Punjab FC will battle it out for a chance to reach the final of the AIFF Super Cup 2025 when they meet in the first semi-final clash on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

With a chance to qualify for a continental competition at stake at the end of the Super Cup campaign, both these Indian Super League (ISL) teams will fight hard and put it all on the line in this upcoming semifinal to book a place in the final.

The Stakes

East Bengal

East Bengal showed great courage to come out of a tough group in the Super Cup, ousting rivals Mohun Bagan to win their group. Oscar Bruzon’s side have played some entertaining football and maintained a mean defensive line too, but it’s now time for them to take things up a level.

East Bengal need to maintain their defensive sturdiness to keep the Shers quiet, but will need to be way quicker and more prolific in the final third to really test their opponents.

Oscar Bruzon will need his side to showcase spirit in outwitting and outworking their opponents to get a win. A big win for East Bengal will recharge their spirits to win the Super Cup, but a crushing loss after this long wait will be particularly demoralising for the players and fans alike.

Punjab FC

Punjab FC had to fight tooth and nail to book their place in the Super Cup semifinals, going unbeaten in the group stages as well.

Panagiotis Dilberis guided his side to the semifinal, beating Bengaluru FC in the decisive final group stage game. However, the Greek coach now realises that his team needs to play with more speed and innovation to beat this strong East Bengal team.

Punjab FC will need their players to work hard to win crucial matches, and they will also need to be decisive in transition and on set-pieces to hurt the Kolkata side.

A win for Punjab FC will be proof of how well their development as a major Indian club is going, but a crushing loss will undo all their good work in the Super Cup.

Team news

Oscar Bruzon should have a fully fit squad available at his disposal for this upcoming Super Cup clash.

Panagiotis Dilberis will also have all the options at his disposal for the match against East Bengal.

Head-to-head record

• Games Played: 12
• Punjab FC wins: 2
• East Bengal wins: 6
• Draws: 4

Predicted Lineups

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

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohamad Rakip, Anwar Ali, Kevin Sibille, Jay Gupta, Mohammed Rashid, Miguel Ferreira, Naorem Mahesh Singh, PV Vishnu, Bipin Singh, Hamid Ahadad.

Punjab FC (4-5-1):

Muneet Shabir (GK), Suresh Meitei, Bijoy V, Khaiminthang Lhungdim, Muhammed Uvais, Nikhil Prabhu, Samir Zeljkovic, Daniel Fernandez, Ninthoiganba Meitei, Leon Augustine, Nsungusi Effiong.

Key players to watch

Hamid Ahadad (East Bengal)

Hamid Ahadad has yet to really unleash his best qualities in the 2025 AIFF Super Cup for East Bengal so far, failing to score a single goal in the competition. However, with Ahadad scoring three goals in the Durand Cup campaign for the Red & Gold Brigade earlier in this campaign, he proved himself to be an efficient player in cup competitions.

The Moroccan forward will be looking to put his best foot forward in this upcoming game to create problems for the Punjab FC defenders.

He will look to be smart with his link-up play and time his movement perfectly to get past the defenders’ viewpoint. However, Ahadad will need to be at his prolific best in converting chances ruthlessly to guide East Bengal to the Super Cup final.

Samir Zeljkovic (Punjab FC)

For Punjab FC to get the better of East Bengal in this upcoming Super Cup semifinal, they will need to defeat them in the midfield battle. To do so, they’ll need their hard-working Bosnian midfielder, Samir Zeljkovic, to be at his energetic best in the midfield.

Zeljkovic has already proven himself to be a valuable signing for the Shers, producing some eye-catching performances in the group stages and even scoring a key goal.

He is impressive with his distribution, being innovative with his forward passes to help set up chances. However, Samir will need to be really proactive in the midfield to stop the Red & Gold Brigade from controlling the game.

He will look to surprise East Bengal in their own half by winning back the ball at crucial points and pushing his team into counter-attacks.

Did you know?

• This is the first time East Bengal and Punjab FC are faced each other in a Super Cup semifinal.
• There have been a combined 15 goals scored in the last three meetings between these two sides.
• Punjab FC didn’t concede a single goal in the Super Cup group stages, being the only team apart from Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC to do so.

When and where to watch East Bengal vs Punjab FC in Super Cup 2025?

The Super Cup semifinal between East Bengal and Punjab FC will take place on Thursday, 4 December 2025, at the Fatorda Stadium, Goa. The match will kick off at 4 PM IST.

You can watch the clash live on Star Sports, and live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.

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