East Bengal FC and Punjab FC will lock horns in the opening fixture of Matchweek 13 in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday.

East Bengal FC will be looking to secure their first-ever win against Punjab FC, having gone winless in their two previous ISL meetings (D1 L1). Punjab FC have undergone a comparatively positive season, accumulating 18 points from 10 matches due to six victories. They are fifth in the table but have been dealt with losses in three of their previous five games, a tide they will want to turn around.

The Red & Gold Brigade have somewhat found their footing after a dismal start, securing seven points in their last five encounters. They lost 2-1 to Odisha FC in the last game and are 11th in the table currently. The team has a long distance to go to bridge the 11-point gap between them and the sixth-placed Jamshedpur FC (18 points), and head coach Oscar Bruzon will want the foundations for that to be laid on their home turf.

Punjab FC have balanced their offensive and defensive duties admirably, with their goal difference of +6 being the third joint-best in the ISL along with FC Goa. Contrastingly, East Bengal FC struck thrice in total and kept a clean sheet in every match in their three-game-long unbeaten streak before the game against Odisha FC. They will want to sustain that form at the back to hold a promising-looking Punjab FC frontline that has netted 17 times in the current campaign.

East Bengal FC’s quest for a turnaround

Managerial Milestone: Oscar Bruzon has accumulated seven points from his first six games as East Bengal FC’s head coach (W2 D1 L3). A win against Punjab FC would see him surpass Carles Cuadrat’s tally (8 points in first 7 games) for the best start by an East Bengal FC tactician in ISL history.

Early-Game Impact: East Bengal FC are yet to score a goal in the opening 15 minutes of any game this season. However, they have also conceded just one goal in the same period, highlighting a cautious and balanced approach during the opening phase.

Punjab FC’s gradual rise

Consistent Goal-Scoring: Punjab FC have netted in each of their last six ISL matches, their longest goal-scoring streak in the competition’s history. Notably, they have scored multiple goals in three of these games, highlighting their attacking proficiency when on song.

Defensive Form: Punjab FC’s defensive unit has displayed mixed form. While they have only kept one clean sheet in their last six away games, they did keep a clean sheet in their most recent meeting against a Kolkata-based club (2-0 vs Mohammedan SC on December 6, 2024). Will the backline hold their shape to keep the East Bengal FC attackers at bay tomorrow?

Head-to-Head

As aforementioned, East Bengal FC have faced Punjab FC twice in ISL history, failing to win either contest (D1 L1). They will be eager to change that narrative in this fixture.

Coaches Corner

“Punjab FC are very effective in transitions”

East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon opened up on the finer aspects of Punjab FC’s gameplay during the pre-match press conference.

Read More from the East Bengal FC pre-match press conference -> HERE

“Punjab FC are looking very consistent. They are tactically very good and are a very strong team. They are very effective in transitions and very rarely lose balance at the back,” Bruzon said.

“Our development is very natural”

Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis credited the structure under which their club functions for the steady improvement in their performances this season.

Read More from the Punjab FC pre-match press conference -> HERE

“The result of our development is very natural because the team is working with a lot of discipline under a certain structure and with a culture that wants the team to become better every year,” Dilmperis said.

Key Players & Milestones

• With 18 goal contributions (13G, 5A) for Punjab FC, Luka Majcen is closing in on the 20-goal-contribution milestone, needing just two more to achieve it, which will make him the first player to scale this feat for the club in the ISL. His remarkable goal contribution rate (59.9 minutes per goal contribution) highlights his efficiency in the final third.
• East Bengal FC’s Naorem Mahesh Singh is one assist away from becoming the first East Bengal FC player to record 10 assists in ISL history. His last assist came against NorthEast United FC on December 4, 2023, though, and breaking this drought could be vital for East Bengal FC’s chances for a positive outcome in this match.
• Punjab FC’s Filip Mrzljak’s shooting accuracy (63.2%) is the highest of any player to have taken at least 15 shots this season. His sharpness upfront will be crucial if Punjab FC are to breach East Bengal FC’s defence. Overall, he has recorded five goal contributions, comprising three strikes and two assists this season.
• With 15 shots but no goals this season, East Bengal FC’s Nandhakumar Sekar’s goalless run upfront will be something both he and the team will hope to end in this encounter.

ISL Fantasy

Anwar Ali (₹5.5cr)

The East Bengal FC defender has earned the most ISL fantasy points (44) for them this season

Nikhil Prabhu (₹5.2cr)

The Punjab FC player has bagged the highest ISL fantasy points (53) for them in 2024-25

Indian Super League is being streamed live free on JioCinema (English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam) and telecast live on Sports 18 — 3 (English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam), Asianet Plus (Malayalam). Additionally Sports 18 — 1, Sports 18 — 2; with Sports 18 — Khel and Star Sports 3 also telecast select ISL matches LIVE.