Aizawl host East Bengal in pivotal battle that can make or break their I-League campaigns

THINGS AREN'T going great for East Bengal at the moment.

At the start of the previous matchweek they were riding high on a 3 match winning streak and going on the road to face Salgaocar and DSK Shivajians; the two clubs at the bottom of the league table. They were just 1 point behind I-League front-runners Mohun Bagan. Wins in these two matches could have propelled them to the front of the title race. 

But something went wrong. At Tilak Maidan their defense was immediately called out by darting runs from Thongkhosiem Haokip. Then at Balewadi their attack was trapped. Ranti Martins was kept under watch, and two other foreigners Do Dong-hyun and Bernard Mendy failed to deliver; and suddenly the core of the team seemed to have been shaken. 

Rumours of discord within the dressing room have started floating around. There's also the fact that they are having to travel between every game; and it may be contributing to some fatigue. Whatever it is, it has head coach Biswajit Bhattacharya in a world of worry before taking to the pitch at Aizawl. Because today, instead of leading the pack, they have fallen behind the top two clubs in the league. And one wrong step from here on can sink their title hopes. 

Meanwhile, Aizawl FC, after a few days of relative safety thanks to their win against Mumbai FC, suddenly find themselves on the verge of being on the relegation spot again; and that is thanks to none other than East Bengal. Salgaocar and Shivajians, the two clubs below Aizawl in the league table, have both beaten the Red and Golds and now all 3 of the bottom clubs are on 9 points. Aizawl, the newly promoted club who have a younger and less expensive squad, are in the biggest danger of going down in the last lap.

But their recent performances should fill their fans, and head coach Johor Das, with some hope. They beat and Mumbai FC at home and drew with them on the road, and also took a point off Salgaocar in Goa. In their recent 1-0 loss to Bengaluru FC at Kanteerava, they were seen to be fighting hard. Their midfielders helped create a number of chances and they disrupted the Bengaluru defense with through balls down the middle. One of their shots even hit the woodwork. On any other day they could have left with a point.

Which is why there's a chance they'll be sniffing for full points against East Bengal tomorrow afternoon. Aizawl FC have continued to sell out their matches at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, and the home support they have is phenomenal. Also the altitude and playing conditions will be something their opponents are not used to. And they are on a bad run; if a few things go their way Aizawl can make this game a pivot for their swing back to safety from relegation.

East Bengal will be looking for a comeback as well. This game, particularly, is important for them to win. It will bury the losing streak, get them some much needed points and leave them in a good place as the I-League goes into a 2 week international break, giving them enough time to recover from the travel fatigue and return to the last lap aiming for the title. The 5 point deficit is a lot, but they still have a game each against Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC. It's still in their own hands to turn things around.

All these surrounding factors make this match a platform where two clubs with dreams of their own will face off in a battle that can play a big role in making or breaking their campaigns.