ISL 2023-24: East Bengal aims to rediscover winning form against struggling Mumbai City FC

East Bengal aims to revive its form as it faces Mumbai City FC in matchweek-15 of the Indian Super League. With key players missing due to suspension and injury, the team welcomes new signings Felicio Brown and Victor Vazquez.

Ovaise Shariff

First Published Feb 13, 2024, 1:48 PM IST

East Bengal seeks a turnaround in Indian Super League-10 as they face struggling Mumbai City FC in a Matchweek-15 clash at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday. Despite winning the Kalinga Super Cup last month, East Bengal has struggled for consistency in the ISL, securing only two victories in 12 matches. The absence of Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva due to suspension and uncertainties surrounding Spanish duo Pardo and Saul Crespo pose challenges for the team.

The mid-season acquisitions of Felicio Brown and Victor Vazquez offer hope, and coach Carles Cuadrat emphasizes squad rotation for freshness. Meanwhile, Mumbai City FC, placed fifth, aims to bounce back after a 2-3 loss to Jamshedpur FC. Coach Petr Kratky expresses confidence, despite missing suspended players Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Gurkirat Singh since the Super Cup semifinals. The match provides an opportunity for Mumbai City to avenge the earlier goalless draw against East Bengal.

“It is sad to lose Cleiton, so we must be intelligent at this moment of the season. The calendar isn’t protecting my players, so I will be the one protecting them. The health of the players is important to be competitive, and we will have a lot of finals in front of us,” the East Bengal coach said as he looked to address the burnout problem besieging his side.

“We have had a good week of preparation and the boys are looking very sharp, so we hope things will play out well in terms of application on Tuesday. If we do the things well, it will help us, and we are looking forward to the game,” Kratky said.

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Last Updated Feb 13, 2024, 1:48 PM IST