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East Bengal open ISL title defence at Churchill Brothers as leaders Kerala visit Guwahati

East Bengal finally start their league season in Goa against a Churchill side that won on debut, while NorthEast United host table-toppers Kerala Blasters on Sunday.

From the editorial desk · GoaPublished
The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Fatorda, Goa (file photo)
The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Fatorda, Goa (file photo)Photo: The original uploader was Vrlobo888 at English Wikipedia. / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Key points

  1. East Bengal are the only side yet to play in the ISL this season.
  2. Churchill Brothers won their first ISL match 2-1 against Mumbai City at Fatorda.
  3. Kerala Blasters top the table on goal difference, and NorthEast United also have a 100% record.

East Bengal’s Indian Super League season finally begins on Sunday, and the defending champions start it away from home against one of the league’s newcomers. They play Churchill Brothers at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa.

East Bengal are the only side in the 13-team league yet to play a match. Their week has been taken up by Asia instead: they lost 3-2 to Iraq’s Al Shorta in the AFC Champions League Two in Kolkata on Tuesday, despite two goals from David.

Churchill’s confident start

Churchill Brothers, who replaced Jamshedpur FC in the league this season, could hardly have made a better entrance. They beat Mumbai City 2-1 at the same ground last weekend, with substitute Gaurav Bora heading their first ISL goal and Sebastian Gutierrez adding a second before Mumbai pulled one back from the penalty spot.

That win leaves the Goan side third in the early table, level on three points with five other teams.

Top of the table in Guwahati

The day’s second game brings together two of the sides with a 100% record. NorthEast United host Kerala Blasters at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.

Kerala are top on goal difference after a 2-0 win over Inter Kashi in Pune, where captain Vibin Mohanan scored and goalkeeper Arsh Shaikh kept a clean sheet. NorthEast won their opener 1-0 against Mohun Bagan Super Giant with a stoppage-time goal.

Inter Kashi, beaten by Kerala that day, collected their first point of the season on Saturday, drawing with Odisha FC thanks to a late equaliser from Thoi Singh.

The documents