East Bengal FC will step on the field with renewed enthusiasm under the tutelage of former Indian Super League (ISL)-winning head coach Carles Cuadrat when they host their season opener against Jamshedpur FC at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Monday.

What’s at stake?

East Bengal FC

In Cuadrat, East Bengal FC has got a head coach who knows what it takes to taste success in the ISL. The Spaniard has inspired some prominent changes in the roster this year. His team, though, boasts of a merely 20% success rate against the Red Miners – a record that he will be keen to change in this game.

Jamshedpur FC

Jamshedpur FC will arguably need some time to settle under the stewardship of new head coach Scott Cooper. Despite a disappointing campaign last year, they find themselves in the middle of a four-game unbeaten streak from last season, that Cooper and his men will be edging to extend for a good start to this campaign.

Key Players

Harmanjot Khabra (East Bengal FC)

Harmanjot Khabra returns to East Bengal FC after seven years and defender will be tasked with leading the backline. His vast experience of having featured in 128 ISL matches will come in handy as the team looks to spark a turnaround in their form this year.

Alen Stevanovic (Jamshedpur FC)

The Serbian attacker is a prominent addition to the Red Miners and his former experience of playing at Italian giants like Inter Milan and Torino should surely result in tangible advantages for Jamshedpur FC’s frontline in their first game of the campaign.

Head-to-Head

Played – 6

East Bengal FC – 2

Jamshedpur FC – 2

Draws – 2

Trivia: Jamshedpur FC won 2-1 in this fixture against the Red and the Gold Brigade last season. They can become the first team to register consecutive away victories against East Bengal FC with a win in the upcoming game.

Team Talk

“Of course, we don’t have a lot of information about them because they haven’t been playing any official match until now. But, it’s not an excuse. We have to prepare for the match. We have to make our plans. We have to try to make a good game and get the first victory of our season. We have to work and we have to make a good plan to try to beat them,” East Bengal FC head coach Cuadrat touched upon coming up against a new-look Jamshedpur FC side as the Red Miners had fielded a second-string side in the Durand Cup prior to the ISL.

“We have done our homework. We know they have a very good coach – a coach that has done very well in the ISL. He made strides at Bengaluru FC. He made some notable achievements that haven’t been surpassed still, so you have to respect that work. We know it’s a big club steeped in history with a lot of good players. We know teams that have home at Kolkata are formidable opponents. We are under no illusions that this is going to be anything else than a very tough game against a very good coach and very good players,” Jamshedpur FC head coach Scott Cooper assessed the Red and Gold Brigade ahead of their faceoff.

Where to Watch

Viacom18 is the new home of Indian football and the match between East Bengal FC and Jamshedpur FC will kick off at prime time of 8 PM on September 25, 2023. Fans across the country can catch the action in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam. Fans can watch the action on the linear channels like, Sports18 Khel (Hindi), Sports18 1 SD & HD (English), VH1 SD & HD (English), Surya Movies (Malayalam), DD Bangla & Colors Bangla Cinema (Bengali).

In addition to this, as part of FSDL’s partnership with OneFootball, ISL live streams and highlights to all matches of the upcoming 2023-24 season will be delivered across more than 190 countries.

Create your own ISL Fantasy team as well if you haven’t already

To mark its 10th season, ISL introduced ‘ISL Fantasy,’ a classic fantasy format game. Fans can participate in the overall league or club-based leagues based on their preferences. They can create private leagues, inviting friends and fellow football aficionados to compete. Prizes include a Sony PlayStation®️5 gaming console, EA Sports FC 24, signed club merchandise, and a Gift Card worth INR 20,000, will be awarded to 100 winners at the end of the season. Sign up at:  https://fantasy.indiansuperleague.com/