RSS
ATOM
advertisement
I-League Preview: East Bengal – Air India
Fatigued East Bengal side up against Air India on Sunday.
21-Mar-2010 12:00:00 AM
By Rahul Sengupta
Kick-Off: 16.30 IST, March 21 2010, Sunday
Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
Let’s Start Winning
East Bengal team under De Ridder had instant success by winning the Federation Cup but since then the team's performance has dropped below par. With a total of eight matches without a win in all competitions, it is high time for East Bengal to win against Air India.
Fresh from the 3-0 drubbing at Beirut in the AFC Cup, the Belgian coach is trying hard to maintain a fit squad as fatigue is posing a big set back for the team rather than injuries or cards. East Bengal however did not get an opportunity to train before the match as the training ground was once again used for Hockey matches.
The Red and Gold's would have to get some important points as the pressure is beginning to increase as the fans are growing impatient.
Getting Their Act Together
The team from Mumbai had a very turbulent season so far. After the departure of Bimal Ghosh from the hot seat, it surprisingly brought better luck to them with new coach Yusuf Ansari puilling off some surprises off late.
After beating Pune FC in the last game, Air India is on a high to register back to back wins. There is a new team spirit about this team and if they continue this way, it will be difficult to beat them on any given day.
Form Guide:
East Bengal
Al Nejmeh 3-0 East Bengal (AFC Cup)
East Bengal 1 – 1 Mahindra United (I-League)
East Bengal 1 – 2 Al Ittihad (AFC Cup)
Air India
Air India 1 – 0 Pune FC (I-League)
Air India 1 – 2 Mahindra United (I-League)
Air India 1-1 Sporting Clube De Goa (I-League)
Team News
East Bengal
Indian national team skipper Bhaichung Bhutia has been sidelined for three weeks due to hamstring injury. Syed Rahim Nabi and Harmanjot Khabra are suspended while Abel Hammond is a doubtful starter.
Air India
Defender Praneel Mendon will be missing out the game due to fever while Dada Nabeel and Uttam Singh are yet to recover from the injuries sustained in the last game.
Key Players
East Bengal – Yusif Yakubu
East Bengal’s tragic hero will have to be on his best tomorrow due to the absence of striker Bhaichung Bhutia. We can expect some magic from his feet tomorrow.
Air India – Arnab Das Sharma
East Bengal discard Arnab had a good form this season especially in the last game against Pune where he single handedly helped his team secure three points. It will be interesting to see if he takes the match as revenge against his former employer.
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
David De Gea Vs Aerial Balls, Old Trafford Vs Suarez and other Key Battles as United look to take revenge against Liverpool
Goal.com looks at the key battles as Manchester United welcome Liverpool to Old Trafford with both Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez looking to play a part...
-
Media shy, silently arrogant & irrationally stubborn: 5 reasons why Abramovich should not be a cry baby
Calm from the outside, cranky from the inside. Goal.com's Sarthak Dubey gives a few tips to Roman Abramovich on how to handle the club's sensitive confidence levels...
-
Can Luis Suarez repeat Eric Cantona's grand comeback when Liverpool face Manchester United?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Liverpool's Midfield Is Equally At Fault As Their Forward Line
Though the attention tends to lean on their misfiring forwards, Liverpool's midfielders are as much at fault for their team's current position...
-
This Week That Year - The Munich Tragedy that shocked the world of football
In yet another edition of This Week That Year, we look into all the historic footballing events in the first full week of February....
Advertisement
Advertisement
