East Bengal FC will face FC Goa in their first home game of the Indian Super League 2024-25 season at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday.

The Red & Gold Brigade put up a valiant fight in their 2-1 defeat against Kerala Blasters FC, while FC Goa played to a 1-1 draw against Mohammedan SC in Kolkata during Matchweek 2.

Back-to-back home wins for East Bengal FC at stake

● East Bengal FC will aim to secure consecutive home victories, having emerged triumphant with a 2-1 win against Bengaluru FC in their last ISL game played here in April, last season.

If they manage to secure a win in this contest, it will not only mark their first consecutive home victory in the league but also their first opening home game win since their inception into the league.

FC Goa’s track record against East Bengal

FC Goa have managed to score in each of their eight ISL games against East Bengal FC, although they've only kept one clean sheet in these meetings. The only other team they have consistently scored against in every game is Odisha FC (10 games).

In the last four fixtures, FC Goa have consistently outwitted East Bengal to secure all three points. Moreover, FC Goa have always found the back of the net in this fixture.

However, a slight cause for concern for Manolo Marquez may be that the Gaurs have achieved only one clean sheet against the Red & Gold Brigade throughout the entirety of their rivalry.

“We have been working on converting chances”

East Bengal FC have managed to score only once in their past two fixtures, despite having a frontline that includes Dimitrios Diamantakos, Naorem Mahesh Singh, and Nandhakumar Sekar. Their only goal-scorer so far is PV Vishnu, who came on in the second half against Kerala Blasters.

Notably, East Bengal registered more shots on target (4) compared to the home side in that match; however, their efficiency in finishing was lacking. Carles Cuadrat addressed this issue and expressed confidence that his team will overcome this hurdle.

“We have been working a lot on converting chances. We have been training a lot of days on how to make the right pass and right finishing. It’s a question of quality, technique, and the right decision at the right moment. And we’re working on that. I’m sure that the guys are going to improve with training,” he mentioned.

"We will fight hard and be competitive"

“We have to prepare for the physicality of the game. With the players that we’ve, there are no excuses. We will fight hard, be competitive, and try to take three points from the game in our stadium tomorrow,” said Carles Cuadrat.

Read more from East Bengal FC's pre-match press conference here.

“The team seems tired”

Manolo Marquez is concerned about his team not being able to register victories. After winning the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Memorial Trophy during the pre-season, fans expected the Gaurs to start the ISL on the front foot. However, in two games, Marquez’s side registered only a point.

The Spaniard shared his concerns, “We are not in a good moment, especially mentally. It's not a problem physically or technically because we know the kind of players that we have. But the team seems tired.”

Read more from FC Goa's pre-match press conference here.

Key players and milestones

●  East Bengal’s Naorem Mahesh Singh has the most goal contributions in this fixture. He has three goals and two assists. However, he has struggled for form in 2024, contributing only to one game with 2 goals against Kerala Blasters FC in April 2024.

● FC Goa’s Armando Sadiku has scored in both of his last two games in the ISL, a first for him. He shares this feat with Gregory Arnolin. If he scores on Friday, he’ll become the first FC Goa player to net in each of their first three appearances.

● Manolo Marquez is unbeaten against Carles Cuadrat in their last three meetings - two wins and a draw.

ISL Fantasy Picks

Armando Sadiku (8.6cr)

Has earned 14 ISL fantasy points so far

PV Vishnu (5.9cr)

Bagged six ISL fantasy points in Matchweek 2