Bolstered by the first victory of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season, East Bengal will look to build on their momentum when they take on Hyderabad FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa on Monday (January 24). (More Football News)
After 11 matches, Hyderabad FC have 17 points from four wins and five draws. East Bengal have nine points from 12 matches with one win and six draws.
Bolstered by the first victory of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 season, East Bengal will look to build on their momentum when they take on Hyderabad FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco, Goa on Monday (January 24). (More Football News)
East Bengal Vs Hyderabad FC match will be telecast live on Star Sports 1/HD, Star Sports 3, Star Sports 1 Bangla, Star Sports Select 1 HD.
Fans can live stream ISL 2021-22 matches on Disney+ Hotstar and JioTV. East Bengal Vs Hyderabad FC match starts at 7:30 PM IST.
Naorem Mahesh Singh scored a brace as East Bengal logged their first three points after 11 games this season to move up from the foot of the table. It also meant that the new coach Mario Rivera got off to a winning start after taking charge. The Red and Gold brigade would hope the Spaniard can mastermind a turnaround.
"When you win, the vibe around the training ground is always better. While the previous win doesn't make the next matches easier, but it does help a lot in terms of the confidence of the players," Rivera said, banking on momentum from his first game in charge.
The 'home' team would welcome back star winger Antonio Perosevic into the fold after the Croatian missed five games due to a suspension for violent conduct against the AIFF-appointed referee. Despite playing just seven games this season, Perosevic is East Bengal’s top scorer with 2 goals.
Perosevic has created nine chances this season, the joint-highest by an East Bengal player this season along with Amir Dervisevic and Mohammed Rafique. East Bengal will also have the services of new Brazilian recruit Marcelo Ribeiro who joined the training and is expected to at least make the bench.
"Having Perosevic back will help the team a lot. He is a top-quality player. He is fast, can score, and also assist. So he will be very important for us. Marcelo will play in the match. We still don't know if he will start or come in the second half, but he will be involved," Rivera revealed ahead of the match.
"According to me, Hyderabad FC is one of the best teams in the league. They have a great balance in attack and defence. They are helmed by a very good coach who plays a fast, attacking-based football and the team also has the highest goal scorer in the league in the form of Bartholomew Ogbeche," Rivera said, praising the Nizams.
Hyderabad, on the other hand, have been winless in the last three games and head coach Manolo Marquez knows all too well that he cannot take East Bengal lightly. The side are placed fourth in the table but a win is absolutely necessary for them to stay in the fray for top-four with teams like Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC and ATK Mohun Bagan breathing down their neck.
Hyderabad will have Bart Ogbeche returning for this game but Javier Siverio has made a strong case for himself to be retained in the starting XI and it should pose as a good headache for Marquez. Siviero scored the only goal for Hyderabad in their 1-1 draw against Chennaiyin. It was his 3rd goal in four games and his 4th of the season. He is the second-highest goalscorer for Hyderabad this season.
"When we went eight games unbeaten, we were always in the run for the top spots. Now, the situation is, if we win tomorrow, we will be back in the higher positions on the table. In this case, the opponents are not important. Does not matter if SC East Bengal are in the lower half of the table. We have a game and we have to win," said Marquez.
The last time the two teams met, the game ended in a 1-1 stalemate.