East Bengal and Aizawl FC clash in a quest for stability and momentum
IT'S A GAME OF TWO clubs who can't wait to get out of a spot.
East Bengal want to challenge for the title. But their campaign got off to a lukewarm start when they dropped points against Mumbai FC and Mohun Bagan, finally losing at home to Bengaluru FC.
Aizawl FC are trying hard to acclimatise to the I-League. The primary focus of the newly-promoted club is on avoiding relegation. So far they are just about statying out of the dreaded bottom spot, perched 7th on the league table, 3 points above Salgaocar, whom they drew against in the previous game. But it's definitely not a safe place to be in, obviously, and having already lost 3 matches, losing another will be bad for the players' morale.
One of the major concerns plaguing Biswajit Bhattacharya is the striking situation. So far they have scored 5 goals and 4 of them came from star striker Ranti Martins. At a time when the midfield is holding up well, not having enough scorers is hurting their chances. It was evident in the match against Bengaluru where they created more chances but converted none, and paid a dear price for it.
Do Dong-hyun, the South Korean attacking midfielder East Bengal brought in last summer, has been struggling with his injury. He has been good with the set-pieces but not so effective from open play. And thanks to the injury situation it's unclear whether he will make the starting line-up today.
But amongst all this, East Bengal are hoping to re-group around Bernard Mendy. The versatile French midfielder-defender has been a successful figure at Chennaiyin FC. Today he is expected to make his debut for East Bengal. There's a lot of buzz among the fans around the arrival of Mendy, and many believe him to be the solution for East Bengal's defensive lapses at crucial moments against Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC. Mendy is also a threatening figure during set-pieces, and having him in the opponent box during a Do Dong-hyun free kick creates a brand new avenue for goal-scoring.
Aizawl FC, meanwhile, are in a plight somewhat similar to East Bengal. As a team they are a polar opposite of East Bengal: young, inexperienced and without any big stars. In the 5 matches they played, they attracted a lot of eyeballs with their pacy, attacking style of play. But although they did create chances, earning corners and free-kicks aplenty and dominating possession even against the likes of Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC, goals have not been very forthcoming for them. So far they have won just one game, against DSK Shivajians, scored only 4 times (that includes an own goal versus Mohun Bagan).
The Liberian striker Alfred Jaryan and local boys Fanai Lalrinpuia and Brandon Vanlalremdika have been in charge of the efforts up front, but a lack of chemistry in the final third has time and again seen their attacks fall apart. Aizawl FC coach Manuel Retamero Fraile will hope that their hard work in the practice sessions pays off to pay off early in the game. Getting a goal early and pushing the pressure on the home side is one of the likely ways for the visitors to get a point here. Although the coach, and their keeper Soram Poirei, were ready to admit in the pre-match press conference that this was a difficult task for a raw team like theirs.
Both the teams are coming into this game looking for momentum. There's little doubt East Bengal are the favourites, in this one. But if a couple of moments go the visitors' way and they manage to claim a point from here, it will make for a significant phase shift both in the top and bottom ends of the league table.
