ISL 2022-23: East Bengal FC eye full points against Jamshedpur FC in red-hot playoffs tussle

By Team Newsable | First Published Jan 13, 2023, 8:00 AM IST

East Bengal FC will look to replicate the result of the reverse fixture and clinch two back-to-back home wins for the first time this season when they take on Jamshedpur FC on Friday.

When East Bengal FC plays Jamshedpur FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Friday, they will try to repeat the outcome of the reverse match and win two straight home games for the first time this season. The Torch Bearers defeated the Red Miners 3-1 in their previous meeting between these two teams earlier in the season to secure all three points.

East Bengal FC lost 3-1 in Odisha last week after stopping their losing streak at home by defeating Bengaluru FC. After only ten minutes, they had the lead, but they could only maintain it in the 90th minute.

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Cleiton Silva moved to the top of the scoring statistics with his eighth goal of the year last week. The Brazilian attacker, who has already scored in back-to-back games, will try to continue that streak against Jamshedpur FC.

First-choice goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh might still be unavailable to head coach Stephen Constantine. Suhair VP will be back in the squad after completing his ban last week, giving him a boost in attack.

"There are no easy games in this league. We managed to get three points in Jamshedpur, and we won our last home game too. We will try to win the first home game of the new year as well," said Constantine. "It will be a battle, and I'm sure they [Jamshedpur FC] will come prepared for it. They are a good side, despite their position on the table. We will have to fight for the win, simple as that," he added.

Last week against Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC was on the verge of recording their first victory in nine games when the Marina Machans scored twice in the final 30 minutes of play, giving the Red Miners just one point.

Ritwik Das, a winger, stepped up and scored a brace in the game last week after the club's primary scorers were unable to score. Rafael Crivellaro, a midfielder, assisted one of Das' goals to score his first goal.

The permanent return of midfielder Pronay Halder to the team will please head coach Aidy Boothroyd. During his loan season with Jamshedpur FC last year, Halder won the Hero ISL Shield. Dylan Fox, an Australian defender who the Red Miners also signed, won't play against East Bengal FC.

“Dylan [Fox] has a little niggle, so he has not travelled with the squad, but he will be fit and available for the next game. Pronay is a very good player with a proven track record. Including Rafael [Crivellaro], we have had three really good additions to the team so far,” said Boothroyd.

“Our realistic goal is to finish as high as we can. We just have to focus on ourselves with our new additions and just keep plugging away until we get as high on the table as we can,” he added.

The two sides have clashed on five occasions in the ISL. East Bengal FC have won twice, while Jamshedpur FC have won just once. Two games have ended in draws.

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