East Bengal vs Jamshedpur: Preview and Prediction
Two teams who have struggled to get going in the 2022-23 Indian Super League season, East Bengal and Jamshedpur will clash in the second fixture of matchday 15 in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.
East Bengal has had more joyful days than they did last season, but they still are miles away from the formidable force they once used to be in Indian football. With just four wins in 12 matches and 12 points in their account, the Torchbearers are placed ninth in the standings.
Jamshedpur’s case is much more shocking, as they had a steep decline after winning the ISL League Winners’ Shield only last season. They have won just one of their 13 matches, and with 6 points, the Red Miners are placed tenth in the league table.
Current Form
East Bengal had a poor start to their journey, as they lost four of their first five matches – against Kerala Blasters, Goa, ATK Mohun Bagan and Chennaiyin. It is only against the last boys NorthEast United that the Torchbearers managed to pick up three points during this phase.
However, it was then followed by a slightly better phase, where Stephen Constantine’s men won two of the next three matches, by beating Bengaluru and Jamshedpur. But they could not sustain the momentum and will come into this game after losing three of their last four matches, the most recent of them being a 1-3 defeat against Odisha.
Jamshedpur had a comparatively better start, as they lost only one of their first three matches – against Odisha. The Red Miners drew 1-1 against Mumbai City, while they also defeated NorthEast United by a 1-0 margin.
But what followed was a nightmare for Aidy Boothroyd’s men, as they lost seven matches on the trot – against Goa, Hyderabad, Chennaiyin, East Bengal, Kerala Blasters, ATK Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru. Since then, they have managed to show some sort of progress, as they have lost only one of their last three matches and drawn the other two matches against Goa and Chennaiyin.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head records are tilted in favour of East Bengal, but only by the narrowest of margins. The Torchbearers have won two of the five league encounters against Jamshedpur, with the Red Miners winning only one game. The other two fixtures ended in stalemates.
The first meeting of this season, which was held back in November, resulted in a 3-1 win for Constantine’s team. A Cleiton Silva brace and a VP Suhair strike comprised East Bengal’s three goals, with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas being the lone scorer for Jamshedpur.
Team News
After what was a disappointing performance against Odisha, it seems certain that Constantine will make changes to his team, starting with the goalkeeping position. After a solid outing against Bengaluru, Suvam Sen had a day to forget under the sticks, which might lead to the re-introduction of Kamaljit Singh.
Right-back Ankit Mukherjee failed in keeping Jerry Mawihmingthanga quiet, and in his place, Mohamad Rakip could be handed a rare start in this match. Souvik Chakrabarti might replace Mobashir Rahman in midfield, while after serving his one-game suspension, Suhair should return at the expense of Himanshu Jangra.
On a similar note, Boothroyd is also expected to tweak his starting XI, after his team failed to utilize a two-goal cushion against Chennaiyin. The centre-back pairing of Laldinpuia Pachuau and Eli Sabia looked shaky, and both could be benched for this encounter.
Pratik Chaudhari could replace the former, with new signing Dylan Fox replacing the latter. Besides them, Ishan Pandita also failed to impress after being handed a start. In his place, Boris Singh Thangjam could start in a new role – as the strike partner of Daniel Chima Chukwu.
Predicted XIs
East Bengal (4-4-2): Kamaljit Singh; Mohamad Rakip, Lalchungnunga, Ivan Gonzalez, Jerry Lalrinzuala; VP Suhair, Jordan O’Doherty, Souvik Chakrabarti, Naorem Mahesh Singh; Cleiton Silva, Alex Lima.
Jamshedpur (4-4-2): Vishal Yadav; Laldinliana Renthlei, Pratik Chaudhari, Dylan Fox, Ricky Lallawmawma; Rafael Crivellaro, Pronay Halder, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Ritwik Das; Daniel Chima Chukwu, Boris Singh Thangjam.
Prediction
The head-to-head records hint at an East Bengal victory, but it must be considered that signs of improvement are evident from Jamshedpur’s performance in the last few weeks. Hence, we have predicted both teams to share spoils in this encounter.