After a frustrating defeat against NorthEast United FC, Carles Cuadrat's East Bengal FC will shift their focus to defending champions Mumbai City FC for a vital ISL 2023-24 clash on Tuesday, February 13. The Kolkata giants have been largely inconsistent in phases after their Super Cup triumph.
Despite dominating Mohun Bagan SG in the Kolkata derby for large parts, the Torchbearers settled for a 2-2 stalemate. Meanwhile, against the Highlanders, the East Bengal backline was disorientated in the initial parts as the Kolkata outfit conceded two quickfire goals within the first quarter.
Furthermore, the injury list also seems to be on the rise for the Red and Gold Brigade. Both Jose Antonio Pardo and Saul Crespo are ruled out of the fixture, along with Cleiton Silva who is suspended.
All things considered, East Bengal are experiencing a slump after tasting success in the Super Cup. But they've time and again shown their resilience in the past and Mumbai City can expect to see a similar flavor. Petr Kratky and his men will have to be cautious given it's a tricky juncture in their campaign as well.
The Islanders are in a transition phase and have suffered two defeats in their last three ISL outings. Most recently, they came out second best despite taking a 2-0 lead against Jamshedpur FC.
East Bengal FC vs Mumbai City FC: Match details for the Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Final
Match: East Bengal FC vs Mumbai City FC, ISL 2023-24.
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata.
Timings: 7:30 pm IST, Tuesday, February 13.
East Bengal FC vs Mumbai City FC: Probable lineups
East Bengal FC: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Mohammad Rakip, Lalchungnunga, Hijazi Maher, Nishu Kumar, Vishnu PV, Ajay Chhetri, Souvik Chakrabarti, Nandhakumar Sekar, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Felicio Brown Forbes.
Mumbai City FC: Phurba Lachenpa, Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Singh, Tiri, Hmingthan Mawia, Yoell van Nieff, Apuia, Alberto Noguera, Lalliazuala Chhangte, Vikram Pratap Singh, Iker Guarrotxena.
East Bengal FC vs Mumbai City FC: Telecast and live stream details
The ISL clash between East Bengal FC and Mumbai City FC will be broadcast live on Sports18 and VH1 in India. It can also be live-streamed on the JioCinema app on Monday, February 13 from 7:30 PM.
East Bengal FC vs Mumbai City FC: Prediction for the ISL 2023-24 clash
Both East Bengal FC and Mumbai City FC are coming off losses in their previous matches and will be eager to bounce back with a victory. In a match poised for fireworks, Mumbai will aim to capitalize on their opponent's momentary lapse in defense and depleting bench strength. But all it can take from the Torchbearers is a quickfire counterattack to alter the proceedings. Hence, it promises to be an end-to-end encounter.
Prediction: East Bengal FC 2-1 Mumbai City FC