East Bengal will host NorthEast United at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Kirirangan on Monday in the last fixture of Matchday 8. A couple of huge surprises have been witnessed by Indian football fans during the week.
Hence, with increased expectations, the Indian supporters will be looking forward to a contest full of excitement and enthusiasm between the Red and Gold Brigade and the Highlanders.
Both sides will be looking forward to recording a win in their upcoming match because NorthEast United as well as East Bengal are currently placed below the top five sides in the league standings.
Current Form
East Bengal started their campaign with a draw against the Red Miners at the Salt Lake Stadium. In the next match, they recorded their only win of the ongoing season over the likes of Hyderabad 2-1. With the same scoreline, Bengaluru didn’t let the visitors take home any points at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
With goals in the second half by Sandesh Jhingan and Victor Rodriguez, Manolo Marquez’s side took down the Red and Gold Brigade at the Kalinga Stadium. Suffering to keep a clean sheet, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill fell short against the challenge presented by Ivan Vukomanovic’s Kerala Blasters at the Salt Lake Stadium.
After consecutive defeats in the Indian Super League, East Bengal managed to hold Chennaiyin in their recent match for a 1-1 draw and shared a point in the pursuit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
On the other side, NorthEast United’s run has also been full of ups and downs. The Highlanders started their campaign with a loss against Des Buckingham’s Mumbai City, thanks to a brace from Jorge Pereyra Diaz. In the next match, they took home winning points after they defeated Chennaiyin 3-0 at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.
Moving forward, NorthEast United played two draws against the likes of Punjab and Kerala Blasters with the same scoreline of 1-1. In their fifth match of the season, the Highlanders locked horns against Jamshedpur and managed to win 2-1 courtesy of two injury-time goals.
However, the Highlanders suffered an unfortunate 1-0 defeat against Odisha before the international break. In their most recent fixture, NorthEast United played a 1-1 draw against Bengaluru at their home ground in Assam.
Head to Head Record
East Bengal and NorthEast United have squared off against each other on only six occasions. The Highlanders have managed to record 3 wins while the Red and Gold Brigade has walked out victorious only once. Two of their remaining fixtures have ended as a draw.
If we take a look at the last three matches played between the two ISL sides, East Bengal has given more reliable performances, playing two draws and also defeating the Highlanders once. Moreover, NorthEast United defeated the Red and Yellow Brigade for the last time in 2021.
Team News
East Bengal defender Jordan Elsey will stay out of action for a number of matches after he suffered a ligament injury against Mohun Bagan SG in the final of the 2023 Durand Cup, earlier this year. Consequently, he’s not expected to make his return to the Red and Yellow Brigade before May.
Apart from Jordan Elsey’s injury, Carles Cuadrat’s East Bengal team hasn’t reported any injury or suspension in the recent matches. Hence, they are expected to host NorthEast United at full strength at the Salt Lake Stadium.
NorthEast United is currently in the sixth spot in the Indian Super League
Similarly, Juan Pedro Benali’s NorthEast United have also been away from the risk of injuries during the ongoing season of the Indian Super League. However, the Highlanders’ Mohammed Ali Bemammer is at risk of suspension because he has already seen four yellow cards in seven appearances for NorthEast United.
Predicted XIs
East Bengal (4-1-4-1): Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Harmanjot Khabra, Lalchungnunga, Hijazi Maher, Mandar Rao Dessai, Jose Antonio Pardo, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Saul Crespo, P V Vishnu, Cleiton Silva
NorthEast United (4-3-3): Mirshad Michu, Soraisham Dinesh Singh, Asheer Akhtar, Michel Zabaco, Tondonba Singh, Mohammed Ali Bemammer, Konsam Phalguni Singh, Romain Philippoteaux, Nestor Albiach, Jithin MS, Parthib Gogoi
Prediction
The match is expected to go either way, however, taking a look at the home advantage and the current form, the Red and Gold Brigade is more likely to take home the three points.