Preview: SC East Bengal face Jamshedpur FC in campaign opener

The Kolkata outfit beat Owen Coyle's boys in their last meeting in the previous season.

SC East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC will meet each other for their Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season opener on Sunday, 21st November, at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Vasco. Both clubs faced disappointing campaigns last season and will be hoping to turn things around this time.

The Red and Gold Brigade are led by head coach Manolo Diaz. After Robbie Fowler’s exit from the club, Diaz was appointed as his successor. On the other hand, the Men of Steel will be playing their second straight season under head coach Owen Coyle. While Diaz might be a bit inexperienced when compared to Coyle as far as Indian football is concerned, both teams have revamped their squads in a bid to go the extra mile in this season.

The Stakes

Getting off the mark with three points in your season’s first match is important for any team. It sends out a message to your competitors, almost as a sign of intent. After their dismal season that saw them finish at the ninth spot in the league table, SC East Bengal would want to go back to the winning ways from the get-go. Their unblemished pre-season, where they did not lose a single friendly should provide the important momentum to give the side the edge.

[KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

It is now up to Diaz and his coaching staff to field the right mix of players for them to get a positive result on the day.

Ahead of his second season as the head coach of Jamshedpur, Owen Coyle made sure to bring in players that suit his style of play. With a balanced team like his, there should be no excuses for Jamshedpur FC to not turn up in a big match like this. If the side wants to break the streak of never making it to the play-offs, they need to start that journey from Sunday itself.

Team News

Diaz will have a fully fit squad to choose from. In the Jamshedpur camp, Farukh Choudhary will be out of Coyle’s team selection plans due to an ACL injury.

Head to Head

Since SC East Bengal joined the ISL only last season, the two teams have only played each other twice so far in the league. Their first meeting ended in a goalless stalemate while the reverse fixture saw the Red and Gold Brigade come out victorious in a 2-1 win.

[KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]

Probable Lineups

SC East Bengal (4-4-2): Arindam Bhattacharya (GK); Hira Mondal, Franjo Prce, Adil Khan, Ankit Mukherjee; Angousana, Sourav Das, Amarjit Singh, Amir Dervisevic; Antonio Perosevic, Daniel Chima.   

Jamshedpur FC (4-4-2): TP Rehenesh (GK); Lallawmawma, Peter Hartley, Eli Sabia, Renthlei; Pronay Halder, Alex Lima, Boris Singh, Seiminlen Doungel; Nerijus Valskis, Ishan Pandita.

Man to Watch

Amir Dervisevic (SC East Bengal)

The Slovenian midfielder could well be running the game on Sunday, such is his talent. Not only can the 29-year old play as an attacking player, but he can also sit in deep and pull the strings from a more defensive position. He could prove to be quite pivotal in providing the chances for the forwards upfront.

If you combine the team’s lack of wingers with their dearth of enough creatively-sound players, Dervisevic seems to be the only and best option for the club in this position. The vastly experienced European will surely take it upon himself to lead the team from the middle of the park and get involved in the game as much as possible.

Nerijus Valskis (Jamshedpur FC)

Valskis is already a proven goalscorer in the Indian top-flight league. His heroics in the 2019-20 season that led Chennaiyin FC into the final is testament to that. The duo of Valskis-Coyle back together once again can mean serious problems for East Bengal if the Lithuanian is not contained by Diaz’s men.

One of the key traits of the ace striker is his aerial ability. Wide players like Boris and Doungel can whip in crosses to provide ample amount of chances for the forward to head home. The match on Sunday could very well be the beginning of another brilliant season for the player.

[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News |ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]

Did You Know?

• One of Peter Hartley’s only two ISL goals came in Jamshedpur FC's 2-1 defeat against SC East Bengal last season.
• Skipper Arindam Bhattacharya won the ISL Golden Glove last season, at ATK Mohun Bagan with 10 clean sheets.
• Jamshedpur FC's Nerijus Valskis won the ISL Golden Boot in the 2019-20 season while at Chennaiyin FC.

Telecast

The kick-off is at 7:30 pm IST. You can catch all the live-action on the Star Sports Network, and live streaming apps like Disney+Hotstar and JioTV.

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.