With rejuvenated hopes, East Bengal (EB) will kick off the 2022-23 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) when they visit last season's runners-up Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on October 7.
The Red and Gold brigade's first two ISL seasons were disastrous as they finished ninth and 11th, respectively. Now under the tutelage of head coach Stephen Constantine, the Kolkata giants will be hoping to bury the ghost of the past and challenge for ISL glory.
The ISL announced the full fixture list for the upcoming season on Thursday, September 1, and the Torchbearers have a competitive string of matches right away. While a clash against Ivan Vukomanovic's Blasters is a challenge in itself, East Bengal will next face a revamped FC Goa side on October 12.
Soon after, Constantine's team will lock horns with NorthEast United FC, who will also be eager to rectify the wrongs of the past season, in Guwahati. Quite like in Spanish football, where all eyes quickly shift to spotting the 'El Clasico' when the La Liga fixtures are released, the Kolkata derby holds a similar heritage.
On October 29, the two local rivals - East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan - will lock horns at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK). The two sides met earlier last month in the Durand Cup, where the Mariners claimed a narrow 1-0 victory. The Red and Gold brigade will be hungry to settle the scores soon.
EB will play against Shield winners Jamshedpur FC and defending champions Hyderabad FC on November 27 and December 9, respectively.
The full ISL 2022-23 league stage fixture list for East Bengal
Here is the full list of East Bengal's fixtures for the upcoming ISL season, along with the match timings and venues:
For East Bengal, the regular league stage will come to a close on February 25, 2023, with a replay of the emotion-driving Kolkata derby against ATK Mohun Bagan.