I-League: Sporting Clube de Goa lock horns with East Bengal

Sporting Clube de Goa will lock horns with East Bengal Club in round 23 of the I-League at the Saltlake Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday evening. The kick-off is 5pm and is being televised live on Ten Action.

Despite not being able to grind out a victory in their last five I-League encounters, Sporting Goa are still mathematically with a chance to win the title, thanks to their super start to the campaign. They currently have two games in hand over leaders Bengaluru FC (38 points) and face the current table toppers on the last day of the season, which increases the stakes of this game against East Bengal Club.

The last time the two teams met was in the recent Federation Cup, where Oscar Bruzon’s Sporting Goa edged past Armando Colaco’s East Bengal 2-1, courtesy of goals from the tournament’s joint top goal scorer Victorino Fernandes and Beeven D’Mello.

In that Fed Cup, It was East Bengal’s victory against Bengaluru FC in the last group match, despite having nothing to play for, which saw Sporting Goa progress to the next round semifinals. This has only strengthened the mutual admiration between the two Coaches.

Sporting Goa will look to striker Boima Jerry Karpeh who has netted twenty three goals this season in all competitions and Rowllin Borges who scored a wonder goal last week against Mohun Bagan, to pull the strings in midfield. East Bengal will rely on the two former Flaming Oranje front men James Moga and Edeh Chidi to lead their attack.

Sporting Goa is currently in fifth place with 29 points from nineteen matches, while East Bengal is seventh with 28 points from eighteen games.

The last three I-League encounters between the two sides have all been drawn and this looks to be another close and enthralling affair.