East Bengal won’t play a home game until 27 September.
East Bengal start their Indian Super League 2024-25 campaign today against Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. With the absence of Anwar Ali and a few ‘reported’ injuries in the squad, Carles Cuadrat might be in stress regarding what line-up to field today. However, there are more things for the tactician to take care of.
The first three fixtures of the Red & Gold Brigade will be very crucial in the build-up to their project where success in the final say. The team won the Super Cup and was in a good run of form prior to that achievement. But post that, the form has dipped and the new season too, has shown signs of worry to the fans, if not to the think-tank.
East Bengal have built a formidable squad, which looks strong on paper, albeit with some loopholes to fill and reinforcements needed in the upcoming windows if they are able to register new players, a thing which is in a hung-phase as of now. But if a closer look is taken to the first three fixtures, it’s a challenging one for a club which hasn’t enjoyed much success in the top-tier of Indian football ever since their inception to the same.
The first three clashes
East Bengal will face three top teams from the ISL in the first three fixtures. And moreover, that includes two away matches. The campaign starts today (14 September) and only 13 days later will they play at home. So definitely, Carles Cuadrat will have to implement some proper strategies in order to yield the best from the three games.
Taking on Bengaluru FC
First up, they will face Bengaluru FC. The Kanteerava is their fortress but the good thing is East Bengal have a good track record against them. Although, the Kolkata giants have never won their ISL opener to date, they have secured wins in three out of the last four meetings with the Blues. But, the Blues have till date lost only once in their opening ISL fixture.
With a strong team on paper, which reached the semi-finals of the Durand Cup 2024, the Gerard Zaragoza-managed side is one of the favourites for the ISL title this time around. A squad which boasts players like Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Alberto Noguera, Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Edgar Mendez, certainly look the favourites against East Bengal.
The biggest problem for Carles Cuadrat is the weakness his side possesses. They don’t have proper full-back, with Mohamad Rakip returning to training after a minor injury and Mark Zothanpuia still considered a youngster ready for the big stage. Playing for Hyderabad FC and East Bengal are two different things as the latter demands consistency in performance throughout. Hence, a thorough strategic approach will be demanded from the think-tank to ensure the club returns at least with a point from Bengaluru.
A fight against Kerala Blasters in Kochi
After playing Bengaluru, the Red & Gold Brigade will need to travel to Kochi to take on Kerala Blasters. The Blasters, currently managed by Mikael Stahre, look deadly. Evidences are the group stage fixtures in the Durand Cup 2024, where they outwitted opponents easily. Only a last-minute goal in the quarter-finals compelled them to bow out of the competition, else with the likes of Adrian Luna and Noah Sadaoui firing to the best, they could have turned out potential champions. Moreover, their young contingent has proven time and again that they shouldn’t be underestimated. Furthermore, the ambience at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is electrifying enough to downscale East Bengal’s morale in a scenario where they are chasing the game.
But, considering what happened in the previous meeting between the two sides, East Bengal fans can expect a more positive outcome from this game. Defeating Kerala Blasters at their home is possible but senior players in the side have to take up more responsibility if they want to return home with all three points.
Finally the home game – FC Goa
FC Goa are one of the contenders for the ISL Shield after missing out on the silverware for just three points last season. If East Bengal don’t get at least four points or even if they don’t remain unbeaten in the first two games, the home advantage against Goa will be of no use. FC Goa, under the mentorship of Manolo Marquez, have shown the firepower they have. Moreover, the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy triumph at home has upscaled their morale. It will surely be East Bengal’s ‘most difficult game’ in these three fixtures, despite it being a home game.
Why is a good result in these three games important?
This season, almost every side apart from Hyderabad FC have a strong squad. East Bengal will be under pressure to deliver because of two reasons. Firstly, the Super Cup triumph has upped the expectations among the fanbase. Secondly, they have perhaps the best squad in the last five years. A squad where the ISL 2023-24 Golden Boot winner (Dimitrios Diamantakos) and top assist-provider of the same season (Madih Talal) play, along with the likes of Saul Crespo and national team players Jeakson Singh, Naorem Mahesh Singh and Nandhakumar Sekar, it is certain that a negative outcome this season will work against the tactician himself. Moreover, if the tone is not set right, it would become difficult for East Bengal to settle down as the season progresses. Hence, these three matches will be the most vital for the club if they want to kiss the ISL Trophy (or Shield) at the end of the season.
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