I-League: East Bengal has to win to keep title chances alive

Kolkata giants East Bengal Club face Sporting Clube de Goa later today at the Saltlake Stadium in the I-League and will hope to return to winning ways after three draws in a row, but the Flaming Orange are unbeaten against the red-and-gold this season having drawn their two earlier encounters.

East Bengal currently are second in the table with 42 points from 22 matches, while Sporting Clube de Goa are eighth with 30 points from 23 matches.

"Winning all our matches remains the only option for us. Churchill Brothers are ahead of us on points but all is not lost and still a lot of things can change. So will approach our own target first and will look at other results," East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan said about his teams situation.

East Bengal will be without midfielders Mehtab Hossain and Harmanjot Khabra due to booking problems while defenders Naoba Singh and Saumik Dey, and striker Andrew Barisic are nursing injuries. "We will take a call on the final XI on the morning of the match. Our opponents are strong and we will have to give our best to make a match out of it. My players are professionals and they understand their job well," Trevor Morgan added.

Meanwhile Sporting Clube de Goa will be missing defender Joyner Lourenco and striker Dawson Fernandes through suspension, who are set to be replaced by Joseph Clemente and speedy forward Victorino Fernandes. "We know East Bengal are a good side and they will be even dangerous on home turf. I have told my boys to be more cautious in their approach," Sporting Clube de Goa coach Óscar Bruzón Barreras said.