East Bengal are desperate to pick up a win in the second game of the 2022/23 ISL season in front of their home support after two years against FC Goa kicking off their campaign with a trip to Kolkata.
The Red and Gold brigade were thumped 3-1 by Kerala Blasters at Kochi whereas Goa are looking to be in the mix for playoffs again by overturning a disappointing ninth-place finish last season.
EBFC vs FCG Match Details
Date: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
EBFC vs FCG Match Preview
Even though it was the first game of the season, the defeat in the curtain raiser brought back memories of the past seasons for East Bengal fans. The first 45 minutes of the match against Kerala Blasters was a dull show with the game only bursting into life in the last 20 minutes of the encounter. Adrian Luna opened the scoring in the 71st minute followed by substitute Ivan Kaliuzhnyi scoring a memorable brace to see off the victory for Blasters with Alex Lima’s goal in between meaning little to nothing at the end. Stephen Constantine went for a pragmatic approach for the game as known by his coaching style but becoming too defensive hindered the attacking threat of the team. The same strategy that cost the Kolkata giants a lot in past seasons. Kerala Blasters produced 10 shots on target from 17 total to East Bengal’s two shots on target from five even though both shared almost the same amount of possession of the ball. With the addition of Cleiton Silva, Aniket Jadav and VP Suhair in the squad, East Bengal was supposed to play positive football going forward something the fans are desperate to see. The new pair of central defense, Ivan Gonzalez and Charalampos Kyriakou failed in their first test to keep the opposition quiet although they were hard done by the too-negative display from the team. The Red and Gold wish to bounce back in the next game against FC Goa playing their first ISL match at home. Like for most of the clubs in ISL in the last two seasons, the bio-bubble environment impacted hugely with one of the factors for East Bengal’s downtrodden form was the lack of organic support as they were away from home in a centralized venue in Goa itself and fans not allowed for Covid restrictions. Although the fans came to support the team during the Durand Cup, this game in ISL will create the ideal atmosphere for the team. Whether their team could repay them back will only be known after the final whistle.
Last season was the one to forget for FC Goa as they ended in their worst standings in ISL history. Distracted by on-field and various off-field issues amid managerial changes, the Gaur could only manage a ninth-place berth with only 19 points secured on the back of four wins, seven draws and nine losses. FC Goa also missed the playoffs for the very first time which showed the huge downfall the club had last season. Certain positive changes this season is making promises that the previous campaign will go down as a blip and nothing else. First of all, the exciting appointment of Carlos Pena stepping into his first-ever job in a managerial career after being a player for FC Goa for three years before hanging up his shoes in 2020. The Spaniard, of course, made a name for himself in La Liga playing for various clubs in Spain’s top division. It will be interesting to see how Pena finds success in his new role. A strong start with FC Goa will help the club get back on track and will also elevate himself personally. The signings in the transfer window have been commendable with one of the top strikers from last campaign, Alvaro Vazquez joining from Kerala Blasters and while Ivan Gonzalez is sold to East Bengal incidentally, Marc Valiente’s arrival is expected to improve the defense with Anwar Ali also impressing for the Indian national team. The curtain raiser of the new ISL season will be tough for Goa as they face an opposition already played a game before and irrespective of the result are match prepared. Secondly, starting the campaign with an away trip is a daunting prospect especially when they have to travel a whole stretch of the land from East to West. All the disadvantages aside if Carlos Pena is to deliver at least the first points on the chart it will be categorized as a welcoming start to his managerial era at the club.
EBFC vs FCG Predicted Lineups
EB: Kamaljit Singh (GK); Ankit Mukherjee, Lalchungnunga, Ivan Gonzalez, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Sumeet Passi, Alex Lima, Jordan O’Doherty, Aniket Jadav; V.P. Suhair, Cleiton Silva
FCG: Dheeraj Singh (GK); Seriton Fernandes, Anwar Ali, Marc Valiente, Aiban Dohling; Edu Bedia, Glan Martins, Makan Winkle Chothe; Brandon Fernandes; Iker Guarrotxena, Alvaro Vazquez
EBFC vs FCG Head to Head
In the four meetings between the sides in the ISL, East Bengal and FC Goa have both secured a win all coming in the last season. The last meeting was won by the Kolkata side with a 2-1 success back in January. These two played an absolute thriller in the game prior with FC Goa securing a 4-3 win. The other two games ended in a 1-1 draw.
EBFC vs FCG Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: K Singh (8)
DEF: S Fernandes (8), I Gonzalez (8.5), Valiente (7.5), Lalrinzuala (8)
MID: B Fernandes (8.5), A lima (9), E Bedia (9), A Jadav (8.5)
FW: C Silva (9), A Vazquez (8.5)
Captain: Alvaro Vazquez
Vice-captain: Cleiton Silva
