Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal FC Prediction: Bengaluru are still searching for the first win in the league

Bengaluru FC will welcome East Bengal FC in Gameweek 3 of the Indian Super League at Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Bengaluru are still searching for the first win in the league. Who will win? 

The plan to contain Mohun Bagan Super Giant at their home ground and secure a point from the match was thwarted when Hugo Boumous netted the winning goal in the 67th minute. This crucial goal materialized following a defensive error by Aleksander Jovanovic, which was promptly seized upon by Jason Cummings, who then assisted the French Moroccan.

Furthermore, Bengaluru FC found themselves at a numerical disadvantage with Suresh Wangjam receiving a second yellow card and Roshan Singh being shown a direct red card shortly afterwards. Both were penalized for preventing Dimitri Petratos from scoring, exacerbating the team's frustration.

Mohun Bagan's wastefulness in front of goal later in the match spared Bengaluru FC from further embarrassment in Kolkata. However, the loss of two key players and the first two matches of the season have placed them in a challenging position. Although it's early in the season, and the Blues have made unexpected comebacks before, they cannot consistently rely on this approach to bail them out of trouble.

Their upcoming challenge is compounded as they prepare for their first home game of the season against East Bengal, a team that has remained unbeaten in the first two matches of their maiden ISL campaign. Additionally, Bengaluru FC has not secured a victory in previous meetings at Kanteerava, intensifying the pressure.

Simon Grayson will be counting on Sunil Chhetri's return from Asian Games duty to provide an offensive boost and put an end to their three-game losing streak in all competitions.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK),Parag Shrivas, Slavko Damjanovic, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Jessel Carneiro, Javi Hernandez, Rohit Kumar, Sunil Chhetri, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Curtis Main, Namgyal Bhutia.

The Salt Lake Stadium was filled with jubilant Red and Gold supporters as their star player, Cleiton Silva, who made his appearance in the second match, once again secured a dramatic last-minute free-kick goal, clinching a 2-1 victory over Hyderabad FC. Silva, the Brazilian sensation, not only scored the equalizing goal in the first half but also netted the decisive winner. This thrilling match unfolded after Hitesh Sharma had initially given the Nizams the lead with a skillful chip into the empty net.

Furthermore, East Bengal didn't have to wait long to claim their first win of the season, and they have now only suffered a single defeat in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Eight of these previous games were under the management of Carles Cuadrat, who has undoubtedly brought about transformative changes within the club. As they prepare to face Bengaluru FC in their third match of the season, East Bengal aims to maintain their unbeaten streak. They have enjoyed success at Kanteerava, even during their challenging periods, securing victories in both their first and last meetings in the ISL and remaining undefeated in five encounters from their I-League days. Moreover, in the overall head-to-head battle, the Kolkata giants hold a slight edge over the Blues.

This upcoming match holds special significance for Cuadrat as he returns to face his former club, the team to whom he delivered their inaugural and only ISL trophy in 2019. Bengaluru FC hasn't quite reached those heights again, and the Spaniard may be eager to remind them of his successful tenure after a somewhat acrimonious departure.

Prabhsukhan Gill (GK), Mohamad Rakip, Harmanjot Khabra, Jose Pardo, Mandar Rao Dessai, Saul Crespo, Souvik Chakrabarti, Borja Herrera, Nandhakumar Sekar, Cleiton Silva, Naorem Mahesh Singh.

Our forecast suggests that Bengaluru is poised to secure their initial three points of the new season after enduring two losses in their first two matches. Bengaluru evidently held the upper hand over East Bengal during the entirety of the previous season, with Bengaluru finishing a significant 15 points ahead of their counterparts. Notably, East Bengal concluded the Indian Super League season in the second-to-last position. Expect over 2.5 goals in the game.