Kolkata, 10 April 2026
After playing six consecutive matches at home, East Bengal FC will travel to Chennai to take on Chennaiyin FC in their first away encounter of the current Indian Super League (ISL) season. The match will kick off at 5 PM tomorrow (11 April) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. East Bengal FC would look to build on the momentum from their historic 7-0 victory over Mohammedan SC in their latest league encounter – their biggest ISL win and also the joint-biggest in ISL history. The Red & Gold Brigade showcased their attacking prowess, fuelled by goals from Youssef Ezzejjari (2), Anwar Ali (2), Saul Crespo, Vishnu PV, and Nandhakumar Sekar. The victory helped Oscar Bruzon’s side end the first phase with the highest scoring tally (16) and the highest goal difference (+12) before the international break.
Spanish centre-forward Ezzejjari, adjudged the Fans’ Player of the Month in consecutive months, is the league’s joint-highest scorer with seven goals, along with MBSG’s Jamie Maclaren. The Kolkata-based club is currently fifth in the table, with 11 points from six matches (3 wins, 2 draws, and a defeat). A win on Saturday would take them to the third spot, behind Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC, both having played a game more.
Chennaiyin FC, meanwhile, has shown capricious form in the current edition, sitting eleventh in the table with just 5 points from 6 matches (1 win, 2 draws, and 3 defeats).
The two-time ISL champions suffered defeats against Mumbai City FC (0-1) and MB Super Giant (0-2) in their first two outings, earning their first point with a 1-1 draw against Odisha FC. The draw inspired the ‘Marina Machans’ to show resilience in their next couple of matches as they beat Kerala Blasters 1-0 to secure their first win of the season and followed it up with a 1-1 stalemate against FC Goa at home on 22 March. However, their brief unbeaten spell ended when they slumped to a 1-2 loss against a visiting Inter Kashi side earlier this week. Historically, East Bengal FC and Chennaiyin FC have met 11 times, with both teams winning 3 games each. Their latest encounter ended in a 4-0 win for the Red & Golds in this season’s AIFF Super Cup Group Stage in Goa. Addressing the media before the match, EBFC Head Coach Oscar Bruzon commented, “We want and push all our players to train at their absolute limit. High intensity, hard work, and a fighting spirit are non-negotiable in my team. That standard will hold until my last day because we believe it is the only way to meet the demands of every game and perform at our full potential.”
EBFC midfielder Souvik Chakrabarti said, “The league is more competitive and unpredictable this season because it’s shorter than usual. As a team, we all cover up for each other and try to elevate each other’s performance through unity and communication.” The match can be streamed live on the FanCode app and will be broadcast live on television on the Sony Sports Ten 2 channel.
