East Bengal seeks another ‘Super’ show against Jamshedpur FC.
East Bengal FC, fresh off their first win of the year, face Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Thursday with two goals in mind: Continuing to compete in the Indian Super League playoffs and breaking a long tournament jinx.
If eighth-placed East Bengal, who have 15 points from 14 games, defeats Khalid Jamil’s hosts, they would be only one point behind sixth-placed NorthEast United FC, who defeated FC Goa 2-0 on Wednesday.
However, for that to happen, Carles Cuadrat’s Super Cup champions must halt a disappointing run.
East Bengal have yet to win two consecutive league matches since their debut in the 2020-2021 season of the Indian Super League. They defeated bottom-placed Hyderabad FC 1-0 in their latest match, snapping their winless streak in 2024, which includes back-to-back losses to NEUFC and Mumbai City FC.
Cuadrat, on the other hand, is hoping to draw motivation from his team’s emphatic 2-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC in the Super Cup semifinals last month.
“Both East Bengal and Jamshedpur are fighting for playoff spots. We were the last team to beat them and we will try to repeat the same,” Cuadrat said on Wednesday.
Despite the setback in the Super Cup, Jamil’s side has been unbeaten this year, having beaten the likes of Mumbai City and Punjab FC on the road and lying 2 points above East Bengal.
With Saul Crespo injured, East Bengal have struggled defensively of late. Serbian defender Aleksandar Pantic, who replaced Spanish centre-back Jose Pardo, another victim of mid-season injury, is set for his ‘debut’ in the red and gold jersey.
However, with Brazilian forward Cleiton Silva in fine form and new foreigners Victor Vazquez and Felicio showing promises of being assimilated into Cuadrat’s system, East Bengal hope to cross the Jamshedpur hurdle again on way to breaking their jinx in the ISL.
