ISL 2026/27: East Bengal FC begin title defence against confident Churchill Brothers

Margao (Goa), October 17 (IANS): East Bengal FC will look to begin their title defence in style when they clash with Churchill Brothers FC Goa and renew their long-standing rivalry in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2026/27 at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Sunday.Churchill head into the fixture on the back of a historic 2-1 victory over Mumbai City FC in their ISL debut, while defending champions East Bengal begin their domestic campaign after a busy run of continental and cup commitments.Churchill Brothers made an absolute statement of intent in their memorable top-flight opener. Gaurav Bora opened the scoring before Colombian forward Sebastián Gutiérrez delivered a clinical late strike to secure maximum points against the Islanders.However, head coach Dimitris Dimitriou believes his side can improve further ahead of their second consecutive home fixture.“Of course we got a win; we got the first three points, but for sure there are a lot of spaces for improvement. We have worked very hard and analysed our game. I believe we are going to play better football on Sunday,” he said.For East Bengal, Sunday’s match marks the start of their title defence in the league, featuring new arrivals such as goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa, midfielder Dani Ramírez, Australian attacker Chris Ikonomidis, forward Ake Loba and Polish striker Lukasz Zwolinski. Antonio Lopez Habas's side have had a busy run across domestic and continental competitions, most recently losing 3-2 to Iraq’s Al-Shorta in the AFC Champions League Two, with David Lalhlansanga scoring both goals.Habas expects a difficult test against the Goan side, but his objective remains clear: start the league campaign with three points. “It’s a dangerous match for a dangerous team against us and us. Our idea is the three points. We respect them, but we have to push our level,” he said.The encounter brings together two clubs with a shared history in the National Football League and I-League. Their last meeting, in February 2020, ended in a 1-1 draw. Sunday’s fixture will be their first meeting in MG ISL history, adding another chapter to their rivalry.The match also gives Provat Lakra a chance to face his former club after moving from East Bengal to Churchill Brothers. The hosts will look to make home advantage count, while the defending champions will be happy with nothing less than all points if they are to make a statement.