Kolkata giants East Bengal meet Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa in the first semi-final of the 2018 Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on Monday.
| Game | East Bengal v FC Goa |
| Date | Monday, April 16 |
| Time | 4:00 PM IST (GMT +5:30) |
TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM
The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the Super Cup. The games will be telecast with the option of English and/or Hindi commentary over their bouquet of television as well as digital platforms.
| India (English) TV channel | Online streams |
|---|---|
| Star Sports 2/2 HD | Hotstar and Jio TV |
TEAM NEWS
EAST BENGAL:
Injured: Mohammed Rafique
Doubtful: None
Key Players: Katsumi Yusa, Mahmoud Al Amna
FC GOA:
Injured: Chinglensana Singh
Suspended: Hugo Boumous, Bruno Pinheiro, Sergi 'Chechi' Juste, Brandon Fernandes, Pronay Halder
Key Players: Ferran Corominas, Mandar Rao Dessai
GAME PREVIEW
On paper, this might be the easiest knock-out match East Bengal has ever encountered, given that more than half a dozen key players from the opposition side are missing.
The Kolkata giants' journey into the final four has not been a tidy one. It took Laldanmawia Ralte's stoppage-time strike against his old club, Aizawl FC, to eke out a narrow 1-0 win in the quarter-final.
However, under the joint leadership of head coach Khalid Jamil and Technical Director Subash Bhowmick, the team looks a tad better on the field than how it looked when it finished 4th in the I-League earlier this season.
Much of the focus has remained on Nigerian striker Dudu Omagbemi who has been dragged into off-field controversies in the past few days. It is understood that Bhowmick has had the word with the veteran and he is all set to start the game. If not, Ansumana Kromah would be given the go-ahead to start.
Mahmoud Al Amna and Katsumi Yusa remain the focal points for all the creativity in the side and the resurgence of Samad Ali Mallick has solved East Bengal's problem at right back, enabling Lalramchullova to revert to his favoured left side.
On the other hand, FC Goa come into the tie off a 5-1 thrashing of Jamshedpur FC, in a game which was reduced to an eight-a-side affair in the second half. Brandon Fernandes, Bruno Pinheiro and Sergio Juste were sent off after their half-time tunnel bust-up.
With the duo of Manuel Lanzarote and Ahmed Jahouh already absent from the tournament, FC Goa's troubles were further deepened by the suspensions to Moroccan playmaker Hugo Boumous and Pronay Halder for picking up two successive bookings.
The only good piece of news for Derrick Pereira is that star striker Ferran Corominas will play and the Spaniard will be vital for the Goan side's progression hopes.
It will be a fight of resilience and a chance for the new faces in the FC Goa side to make their mark. East Bengal, who have a knack of doing well in cup competitions, will be fancying their chances.