India Super League (ISL) 2024 will start on Friday. The fans are gearing up for the blockbuster competition when their favourite clubs will take the field in the top-tier league of Indian football. Over the years it has seen some of the greats take on the field for various franchise clubs. India will yet again find some new stars for the future of Indian football. This season will be bigger with 13 teams and 156 matches to be played.
On the weekend it is a double-header blockbuster. The first match is between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC. In the evening Bengaluru FC (BFC) will be hosting East Bengal FC (EBFC) at Sree Kanteerava Stadium. The match will start at 7:30 PM IST. The Red and Gold Brigade despite performing well in the last season failed to qualify for the top 6. The Super Cup winners have made a well-balanced side with some new additions.
On the other hand, Bengaluru FC have also signed some great players after their failure last season. The former ISL champions will also look for a great start to their campaign and win the first match in an encounter in which they have not been dominant at home. With two teams having some great footballers, there will be some intense battles to watch out for.
Here are the top 3 face-offs to watch out for
3. Jorge Pereyra Diaz vs Hijazi Maher
Jorge Pereyra Diaz is one of the most disturbing strikers for defenders. He sticks with the defenders and creates a lot of pressure. The Argentine can score goals and he has shown that from the first season he has been in India. Bengaluru FC will be looking for him to put his name on the score sheet in the first game.
But it will not be an easy task for the Argentine, as East Bengal defender Hijazi Maher is well aware of the striker’s curious nature, and the Jordan defender works on anticipation rather than rough challenges. He will look to stop the striker and keep a clean sheet in the very first game of the season.
2. Madih Talal vs Suresh Singh Wangjam
All the fans and the coaches know what Madih Talal can do if he is given a short amount of space and time. The French creative midfielder was the highest assists maker last season in the whole competition. East Bengal have signed him before the start of the new window. He will look to deliver on the first match.
Suresh Singh Wangjum, who came through the hands of Carles Cuadrat, who is now the coach of the Red and Gold Brigade. Suresh’s destructive footballing ability will be very much needed to stop a player like Talal in the middle of the park. It will be an intense battle to watch out for on the weekend.
1. Naorem Mahesh Singh vs Rahul Bheke
Mahesh Naorem Singh has been the most successful Indian footballer for East Bengal. The Indian winger has delivered in every game against Bengaluru FC. He has a nack of scoring goals against the former ISL champions. Mahesh has been the fan’s favourite boy in recent years. He will look to score on Saturday and make the fans happy.
But for Mahesh to score he needs to get past the experienced Rahul Bheke. The Indian center-back is back with his former club after spending his best times with Mumbai City FC. Bheke also played for East Bengal in earlier days. He will be at task on the weekend to stop the runs of Mahesh down the wings.
