Former ISL champions Bengaluru FC are determined to get back to winning ways when they take on a struggling East Bengal FC side in match week 6 of the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
The Blues have only one win and four points from four games played so far. Simon's men had a lot of success in the Durand Cup 2022, but his tactics and style haven't worked for Bengaluru in the current season.
With a fearsome group behind him, Simon Grayson will push his players to forget about the outcome and focus on the ultimate battle against the Torch Bearers.
The Red & Gold Brigade have been unable to establish themselves in the top tier and are currently ranked second last in the ISL table. Coached by Stephen Constantine, the club from Kolkata has been in a rut for some time, having won just one of their five matches and losing the other four.
A victory can provide the team with a huge boost in momentum. It can help Stephen's men recover and get a proper start to the season.
Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal FC: Head-to-head
After dropping points in their previous two meetings, both teams will be peckish for victory. The two teams have met four times. The Blues have won twice, while the Kolkata club has only one win in the 2020-21 Hero ISL.
Matches Played: 4
Bengaluru FC: 3
East Bengal: 1
Draws: 0
Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal FC: Top goal scorers in the previous Indian Super League season
Bengaluru FC - Cleiton Silva (Six goals from 16 matches)
SC East Bengal: Antonio Perosevic (Three goals from 14 matches)
Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal: Clean Sheets from the previous ISL season
Bengaluru - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Three clean sheets in 16 matches)
East Bengal: Suvam Sen (Two clean sheets in seven matches)
More stats and numbers you need to know
Most saves: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu - 33 (BFC), Arindam Bhattacharya (SCEB) - 28, Suvam Sen (SCEB) - 7
Most passes: Sourav Das (SCEB) - 470, Alan Costa - 710 (BFC)
Most interceptions: Bruno Silva - 39 (BFC), Alan Costa - 36 (BFC), Hira Mondal (SCEB) - 28
Most tackles: Bruno Silva - 85 (BFC), Naorem Singh (SCEB) - 71