ISL 2020, SCEB vs JFC Live Score: SC East Bengal squares off against Jamshedpur FC

Hello and welcome to Sportstar's ISL 2020-21 live blog of the match between SC East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC.

LIVE UPDATES:

6:20 PM: As SC East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC get ready to square off in match 23 of the 2020-21 Indian Super League, here are the important stats, head-to-head record and players to watch out for. (READ MORE)

6:00 PM: Shyam Vasudevan and Aashin Prasad review the ups and downs of matchweek 3 of the Indian Super League on The Full Time Show.

ISL 2020-21 points table

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The Indian Super League (ISL 2020-21) will mark the return of major league competition in India after the nationwide lockdown to prevent the COVID-19 outbreak was first imposed in March.

The seventh edition of the ISL got underway inside a bio-bubble in Goa on November 20.

The tournament, spanning over four months, will see 11 teams play each other in a league and playoff format across three venues. Following SC East Bengal's inclusion, this season will feature 115 games, up from 95 last season.

MATCH PREVIEW:

SC East Bengal will be looking for the first points following its Indian Super League debut when it hosts Jamshedpur FC at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Thursday.

For East Bengal’s celebrated coach Robbie Fowler the current challenge is stopping his side from suffering the fourth consecutive defeat. This in itself would mean that the red and gold side picks up the first point of the tournament after suffering reverses against ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC and North East United FC.

The team has conceded seven goals without scoring a single and there lies Fowler’s concern. It is about discovering the right combination and shape to break the opponent’s defence. East Bengal has created chances but its shooting has been the big area of concern.

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As the statistics indicate the team has a shot accuracy of only 20.51 percent as it has managed just 17 shots from inside the box (second-lowest in the league). “It is not always about the strikers. We need others to get the goals too. I would be more worried if players didn’t create chances. We are creating chances,” Fowler tried to pick out the positives.

Fowler knows that the task will be big as his side runs against Jamshedpur which is powered by the form of its star striker Nerijus Valskis (five goals in four matches). Added to this is the fact that East Bengal is missing the services of Danny Fox, Loken Meitei and Aaron Amadi-Holloway owing to injury. Fowler revealed before the match that they are still not fit enough for action.

Jamshedpur FC, which downed ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 to pick up its first win of the tournament in its previous outing, is high on confidence. Jamshedpur FC’s Scottish coach Owen Coyle hopes his team will be ready to meet the other Kolkata giant. “It is going to be a tough game as it was against ATK and we need to make sure we are ready for it. They (East Bengal) are very dangerous opponents,” Coyle said. This will be his side’s fifth game in 15 days.