East Bengal vs Al Shorta Match Preview: Prediction, Timings, Lineups, Teams and How to Watch

Kolkata gets its first continental home night of the group stage. In this East Bengal vs Al Shorta match preview, we cover kickoff time, team news, a prediction and where to watch.

East Bengal vs Al Shorta: Match Details

The Teams

East Bengal arrive as ISL 2025–26 champions and Durand Cup 2026 winners, with Antonio Habas in charge. They reached the group stage by beating Kuwait’s Al-Arabi 4–1 in the preliminary round, then opened the group with a 2–2 draw against Jordan’s Al-Hussein.

Al Shorta finished runners-up in the 2025–26 Iraq Stars League and are an established name in Iraqi football. Group D also includes Al-Hussein and Oman’s Al-Seeb, and the top two teams advance to the Round of 16.

Lineups

Official starting XIs haven’t been announced yet. They usually appear about an hour before kickoff, so check the club’s channels and FanCode closer to the game. We’ll avoid guessing names.

Prediction

Al Shorta look like a genuine top-two contender in this group, so East Bengal shouldn’t expect an easy night. Home support gives the hosts a lift, but they must stay compact and take their chances. Our prediction is a tight game, with a 1–1 draw the most realistic outcome and a narrow home win possible. This is an opinion, not betting advice.

How to Watch?

Every match in this season’s competition streams live on the FanCode match page. For fixtures and competition details, visit the AFC official website. Tickets for the stadium were listed from ₹250 on District.

What’s at Stake?

A win would put East Bengal in a strong position early. A defeat would make the return leg in Iraq on December 8 feel like a must-win. With two sides likely to progress, every point matters.

For background on the club’s modern era, read about East Bengal’s ISL journey and the SC East Bengal name debate.

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