Indian Super League 2024-25: East Bengal's Playoff Qualification Scenario and Upcoming Match Against Hyderabad FC

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The Indian Super League 2024-25 season is nearing its end, and East Bengal FC is still holding on to their playoff hopes. After winning their last two matches, including a 3-1 victory over Punjab FC, the Red and Gold Brigade is looking to extend their winning streak and keep their chances of qualifying for the top 6 alive. However, their prospects of qualifying are extremely difficult, and they will have to win all their remaining matches and rely on other teams to drop points.

East Bengal FC will host Hyderabad FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, and a win is crucial for both teams. The home team is currently at 24 points from 21 games, and even three wins from here will take them to 33 – just one more than the currently sixth-positioned Mumbai City FC (32), who also have as many games in hand. The situation is not so bright for Hyderabad FC, who have won and lost twice each in the previous five games, placing themselves in the penultimate position with 17 points from 21 encounters. East Bengal FC have not lost in their previous three ISL fixtures against Hyderabad FC, winning twice and drawing once, and another positive outcome will make it their joint-longest unbeaten run against a single opponent in the ISL.

The head-to-head record between the two teams shows that Hyderabad FC have won four times, while East Bengal FC have emerged victorious twice, with three games producing draws. The key players to watch out for in this match are Vishnu Puthiya from East Bengal FC, who has earned the most ISL fantasy points (74) in his team this season, and Andrei Alba from Hyderabad FC, who has bagged the most ISL fantasy points (93) in his side this season. The Indian Super League is streamed live on JioHotstar (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam) and telecast live on Star Sports – 3 (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam), Asianet Plus (Malayalam).

For East Bengal FC to qualify for the playoffs, they will have to win all their remaining two games and need NorthEast United to lose its other match or hope that Mumbai City FC fails to collect any more points. Additionally, it would need Kerala Blasters, Punjab FC, and Chennaiyin FC to drop points in any of their remaining games, while also hoping Odisha FC does not collect more than three points in its last two matches. The top two teams in the ISL 2024-25 season will secure direct semifinal berths, while teams ranked third to sixth will compete in single-leg playoffs for the remaining spots. The playoff scenarios are complex, and East Bengal FC will have to rely on other teams to do them a favor if they are to qualify for the top 6.

The upcoming match between East Bengal FC and Hyderabad FC is a crucial one, and both teams will be looking to take their learning from the season so far to sign off on a high. The ISL has been an exciting season so far, with many twists and turns, and this match promises to be an exciting one. The teams will be looking to give it their all and end the season on a positive note, regardless of their playoff chances. The match will be played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, and the fans will be eagerly waiting to see their team in action. Some of the key statistics and facts about the teams are:

• East Bengal FC have won twice in a row coming into this match
• Hyderabad FC have won and lost twice each in the previous five games
• East Bengal FC have not lost in their previous three ISL fixtures against Hyderabad FC
• The head-to-head record between the two teams shows that Hyderabad FC have won four times, while East Bengal FC have emerged victorious twice