Preview: Bengaluru aim to end eight-game winless run against East Bengal

Both outfits desperately need a win to revitalise their season.

SC East Bengal and Bengaluru FC will face each other on Tuesday in their next Indian Super League 2020-21 fixture. The aspirations for both clubs are very similar at this point. The need to start collecting points has never been more important.

The sides are languishing in the bottom-half of the table and risk getting left behind in the race for playoffs qualification. The league is heading towards its business end and fans will hope their team can get back to winning ways. However the match may turn out to be, it will surely be tightly-contested and very entertaining.

The Stakes

SC East Bengal’s form has been bittersweet. While they have tasted defeat only once in their last nine games, they have not been able to turn draws into victories. At seven stalemates, they have the highest number of draws, alongwith Hyderabad FC and Chennaiyin FC. 

Robbie Fowler’s men are running out of time to finally hit the top gear and rise above in the league standings. Their performances of late do not represent their second-last position in the table. The club will be looking to change this in the upcoming fixture. 

Sunil Chhetri’s reaction after the last game against Hyderabad perfectly symbolised the mood in the dressing room. Hopelessness has crept in a team that was built to fight for the championship rather than sitting in the bottom half of the table.

Without a win in the last eight fixtures, the Blues' chances of qualifying for the playoffs look meagre. The moment is now or never for Bengaluru FC as they desperately need to win against East Bengal to stay in contention for the top four.

Team News

SC East Bengal are free of injuries and suspensions, therefore Robbie Fowler should have a full strength squad to choose from. The Englishman could stick with the 4-4-2 setup or could also bring in Matti Steinmann back into the lineup, considering the attacking prowess of Bengaluru FC.

Naushad Moosa has kept faith in the same lineup since taking over as interim coach. One can expect the Blues to field the same team against SCEB too. There are injuries to report, the skull fracture suffered by Ashique Kuruniyan that keeps him out and Juanan who seemed to have injured his hamstring against HFC.

Probable Lineups

SC East Bengal: Majumder (GK), Fox, Neville, Gharami, Das; Rafique, Ajay, Bright, Maghoma; Pilkington, Jeje.

Bengaluru FC: Sandhu (GK); Khabra, Fran Gonzalez, Srivas, Bheke; Wangjam, Paartalu, Augustine; Silva, Chhetri, Udanta. 

Head-to-Head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UR2O6YT4m98

The two outfits have only met once in the ISL before. The reverse fixture in the current season ended in an East Bengal victory by a solitary goal. The Blues will look to get revenge for the defeat. 

Man To Watch

Bright Enobakhare (SC East Bengal)

Since his arrival, Bright Enobakhare has looked very bright all over the pitch for the Red & Gold Brigade. The Nigerian has instilled pace and excitement to their attacking prowess and is a constant threat for the opposition. Even though the forward has not contributed with goals or assists since his first two matches, he continues to be central to the team.

His tendency to influence the build up play and the ability to run behind the defence makes him a tricky operator. BFC must be wary of his talent and should make plans to contain the 22-year-old. 

Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)

The India international skipper has been used centrally by Naushad Moosa which has paid dividends lately. Chhetri has not only been influential as a false nine, but his ability to jump has made him an asset on crosses and set-piece situations.

The 36-year-old scored the opener against the Nizams after rising the tallest from Cleiton Silva’s free kick. It will be tough for Fowler and Co to contain the Indian legend, who seems to be hitting a rich vein of form.

Did You Know?

• Bengaluru FC have never finished outside of the top four places in the ISL.
• SC East Bengal’s Debjit Majumder has made the most saves (49) in the competition this season.
• Bengaluru FC has only kept two clean sheets this season, joint second-worst with FC Goa. 

Telecast

The match between SC East Bengal and Bengaluru FC is set to be telecast live on Star Sports 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 2 SD & HD (English), Star Sports Hindi 1 SD & HD, Star Sports 3 and several other regional languages. Live streaming of the match will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV.