East Bengal Football Club will host Goa Football Club in a 2025-26 Indian Super League preseason match at Salt Lake Stadium on Thursday, seeking to return to winning ways.
The Red and Gold began their campaign strongly, defeating Northeast United (3-0) and SC Delhi (4-1) consecutively. However, a 2-1 loss to Jamshedpur FC in their last outing saw them slip to fifth place with 6 points from three matches.
Despite the setback, East Bengal can draw confidence from their strong home scoring record, having found the net in each of their last six ISL matches.
The last encounter between the two sides was in the AIFF Super Cup final in Goa, where East Bengal narrowly missed out on the title after a penalty shootout defeat at Fatoda Stadium.
Head coach Oscar Brujon emphasized the necessity for a top-tier performance. "Home games demand responsibility, especially after last week's disappointing loss. Goa FC is a well-structured, competitive side with clear positioning. There will be little margin for error. If we want to take all three points, we must deliver our highest level from the first minute," he stated.
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Goa FC currently sits third in the standings with seven points from three matches. Following a 1-1 draw against International Kash FC, the Goalscorers secured consecutive clean-sheet victories over Mohammed SC (2-0) and Delhi SC (1-0). However, they will be without forward Mohammed Neemir, sidelined with a cheekbone injury.
Head coach Manolo Marquez acknowledged the challenge ahead. “We've been competitive both at home and away. We look forward to playing in Kolkata in front of the nation's largest audience,” he stated pre-match.
With both teams eager to build on their early-season momentum, Thursday's clash is poised to deliver a fiercely contested battle in front of the home supporters.
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