ISL: East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC battle for points, pride

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 15 (ANI): East Bengal FC will play Mohammedan SC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Sunday.
The kick-off will take place at 7:30 pm IST. East Bengal FC are currently placed 11th with 18 points from 19 games, having won once and lost thrice in their previous five matches. However, four goalless games in their last five fixtures have dented their progress and the Red and Gold Brigade would want to regain their scoring touch and solidify their position with 15 points still to play for them in the league, as per an ISL press release.
At the bottom of the standings, Mohammedan SC has gone through a difficult debut campaign in the ISL, earning 11 points from 19 encounters. The team has scored just nine goals in the competition, conceding 34 and is coming into this game on the back of a three-game-long losing streak.
In the earlier fixture between these two sides in November, both sides had settled for a goalless draw.
As of now, East Bengal FC are 13 points behind sixth-placed Mumbai City FC (31). Bridging that gap and entering the playoffs might be slightly difficult, but it is in their hands to continue to push for a strong finish to the season. After parting ways with Carles Cuadrat, the team went through a slight transition and their cause has not been bettered with a dry patch upfront, scoring the second-least goals (18) in the competition.
The star striking duo of Cleiton Silva and Dimitrios Diamantakos, who netted a combined total of 21 goals for their respective teams in ISL 2023-24, have scored just thrice so far - all of them coming from Diamantakos as Silva is yet to open his account for the campaign.
For both these sides, the key is to sign off positively from this season. With 19 games gone, each of them must have secured important takeaways that can enable them to ensure a better finish in the standings.
-East Bengal FC's Tactical Aspects
High Defensive Line: East Bengal FC have arguably consciously devised a strategy to catch opponents offside, having done so 51 times this season, which is the most by any side. This disrupts the other team's offensive patterns and gives the Red and Gold Brigade a stronger base to build their attacking moves from.
Hijazi Maher's Impact: The Jordanian centre-back has been a powerhouse for East Bengal FC, making 17 blocks, winning 32 duels, rounding off 54 recoveries, 63 clearances, and also finding the back of the net twice in 13 appearances this season.
-Mohammedan SC's Comprehensive Struggles
Defensive Concerns: Mohammedan SC's defensive frailties have been palpable, since they have given away multiple goals in each of their last four games. This marks the second-longest such stretch by any team in their debut ISL season, only behind Hyderabad FC's six-game run between December 2019 and January 2020. Their goal difference of -25 is the worst in the league.
Inefficient Conversion: Mohammedan SC's attacking problems have been down to their inefficiency upfront, as they have converted just six of their 29 big chances this season. They have the lowest conversion rate (20.7 per cent) among all teams. East Bengal FC (28) are the only team to have created fewer big chances than Mohammedan SC this season.
-Head-to-Head
The only ISL match between these two teams delivered a draw.
East Bengal FC head coach Oscar Bruzon said that his team has worked hard towards recovering their lost form.
"This was a long week. It was a week where we worked towards bringing our performances back to the level that we have displayed earlier against good and quality teams," he said as quoted by an ISL press release.
Mohammedan SC's assistant coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo expressed that his side understands the magnitude of this match.
"We know the importance of this game. We are going to play with all our heart and make sure that the game is difficult for East Bengal FC," he said. (ANI)