The opening match of the 2025 Hero Super Cup knockout stage will take place on Wednesday, 4 December 2025, at the Fatorda Stadium in Vasco da Gama, Goa. Kick-off is scheduled for 10:30 GMT+0. The 19 000-capacity venue, known for its lively atmosphere and excellent pitch, will host this crucial Super Cup fixture under floodlights. As of now, the referee appointment has not been officially announced by the AIFF.
This encounter sees two ISL sides who failed to reach the playoff spots last season fight for a place in the semi-finals of the Super Cup and, more importantly, for early-season momentum and prize money. Both clubs have already played three group-stage games in November, making this a direct-elimination clash with no second chances.
BETTING TIPS AND MATCH INSIGHTS
East Bengal vs Punjab FC prediction today points to a tight, low-scoring affair typical for Indian cup knockout games played on neutral soil. Recent form suggests both teams have improved defensively since the October international break, but struggle to create high-quality chances against organised mid-blocks. Punjab’s counter-attacking style could exploit East Bengal’s high defensive line, while the Kolkata side will rely on set-pieces and individual brilliance from their foreign attackers. Expect a cagey first half followed by late drama.
East Bengal Results
East Bengal arrive in Goa carrying momentum from two unbeaten performances in the Super Cup group stage, although their attack has looked blunt.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 31.10.2025 | Hero Super Cup | Mohun Bagan – East Bengal | 0-0 | D |
| 28.10.2025 | Hero Super Cup | Chennaiyin – East Bengal | 0-4 | W |
| 25.10.2025 | Hero Super Cup | East Bengal – Dempo | 2-2 | D |
| 18.10.2025 | ISL | East Bengal – Mohun Bagan | 1-2 | L |
| 14.10.2025 | ISL | Namdhari – East Bengal | 0-2 | W |
The 4-0 thrashing of Chennaiyin remains the clear outlier. In the other four matches East Bengal scored only five goals total and kept just two clean sheets. Carles Cuadrat’s side is slowly finding defensive solidity but remains over-reliant on dead-ball situations.
Punjab FC Results
Punjab FC have been the surprise package of the Super Cup group stage, winning all three matches without conceding a single goal.
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result | Outcome |
| 05.11.2025 | Hero Super Cup | Bengaluru – Punjab | 0-1 | W |
| 02.11.2025 | Hero Super Cup | Mohammedan – Punjab | 0-3 | W |
| 27.10.2025 | Hero Super Cup | Punjab – Gokulam | 3-0 | W |
| 09.08.2025 | Durand Cup | Bodoland – Punjab | 1-0 | L |
| 06.08.2025 | Durand Cup | ITBP – Punjab | 0-0 | D |
Three consecutive clean sheets and nine goals scored in the Super Cup proper showcase Punjab’s excellent early-season organisation under new head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis. Luka Majcen and Filip Mrzljak have formed a lethal partnership.
Head-to-Head – East Bengal vs Punjab FC
| Date | Competition | Matchup | Result |
| 22.02.2025 | ISL | Punjab – East Bengal | 1-3 |
| 17.12.2024 | ISL | East Bengal – Punjab | 4-2 |
| 10.04.2024 | ISL | Punjab – East Bengal | 4-1 |
| 09.12.2023 | ISL | East Bengal – Punjab | 0-0 |
| 16.08.2023 | Durand Cup | East Bengal – Punjab | 1-0 |
East Bengal have won three of the last five encounters, but Punjab’s shock 4-1 victory in April 2024 is still fresh in memory. Four of the five games produced at least three goals.
Predicted Starting Lineups – East Bengal vs Punjab FC
Official lineups will be confirmed 60 minutes before kick-off, but based on training reports from Goa, latest press conferences and rotation patterns in the Super Cup, these are the most probable XIs for the 3 December 2025 quarter-final at Fatorda Stadium.
East Bengal possible starting lineup
Gill (GK) – Ali, Sibile, Rakip, Gupre (DF), Figuero, Lalrinliana, Nandha, Crespo (MF), Provat, Rashid (FW)
Punjab FC possible starting lineup
Shabir Khan (GK) – Uvais, Novoselec, Varghese, Lhungdim (DF) – Suresh, Prabhu, Meetei (MF), Zeljovic, Ramirez, Augustina (FW)
Key Points to Watch
- East Bengal’s top scorer Cleiton Silva is doubtful with a hamstring strain picked up against Dempo – he has missed training all week;
- Punjab’s defensive duo Juan Mera and Ivan Novoselec have formed the best centre-back partnership in the tournament so far (0.41 xGA per game in Super Cup);
- East Bengal have kept only one clean sheet in their last nine competitive matches;
- Punjab are on a seven-game unbeaten run across all competitions (6 wins, 1 draw).
- Four of the last five H2H meetings saw both teams score;
- East Bengal have scored 71 % of their goals this season from set pieces (corners + free-kicks);
- Punjab have won 11 of their 13 matches in 2025 when leading at half-time;
- Neutral venue removes East Bengal’s usual home advantage at Salt Lake Stadium;
- Average match temperature in Goa at 19:30 kick-off: 27 °C with 80 % humidity – favours the fitter Punjab squad.
Free Tips on East Bengal vs Punjab FC
Indian Super Cup knockout matches on neutral soil often ignore traditional home/away splits and are decided by current momentum, tactical discipline and individual quality in key moments. The following five data-driven tips are built exclusively on statistics from the 2024/25 season, head-to-head trends and situational factors specific to this 3 December 2025 clash at Fatorda Stadium. Use them as final filters before confirming your bets.
- Punjab’s defensive process is elite right now – they have allowed only 0.38 xGA per match across the three Super Cup group games and rank 1st in the tournament for PPDA (7.9) and defensive duels won in their own third (68 %). East Bengal’s open-play xG per shot sits at a mediocre 0.09, so back Punjab +0.5 Asian Handicap or Double Chance X2.
- Both Teams to Score – NO has landed in Punjab’s last 5 competitive matches (100 % clean-sheet rate since October). East Bengal failed to score in 4 of their last 7 games when facing a team ranked top-4 for xGA. The 1.76 average odds for BTTS-No currently offer clear value.
- Under 9.5 corners is a strong angle – the last five H2H meetings averaged only 8.2 corners, while Punjab’s three Super Cup games this season averaged 7.3, and East Bengal games on neutral venues in 2024–25 stayed under 9 corners in 6 of 8 cases. Fatorda’s wide pitch paradoxically reduces corner count because teams prefer cut-backs over forced crosses.
- Punjab perform significantly better after short rest periods – when playing with ≤4 days recovery in 2025 they are 6-2-0 (75 % win rate) and +9 goal difference. East Bengal with the same rest schedule are 1-1-4 and -6 GD. Fatigue is not equal here.
- Second-half goals dominate this fixture – 73 % of all goals in the last seven East Bengal vs Punjab FC matches arrived after half-time, including 100 % in the three most recent encounters. The best value play is “Highest scoring half – 2nd” or simply “Over 1.5 goals after HT” if available.
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East Bengal vs Punjab FC Match Prediction 2025
Despite East Bengal’s historical edge in head-to-heads, current form and squad availability heavily favour Punjab FC. The Miners have looked a class above in the group stage, keeping three clean sheets while East Bengal have continued to leak chances from open play. With Cleiton Silva likely absent and Punjab’s counter-attacking threat led by Majcen in red-hot form (6 goals in 5 games), the value lies with the underdogs from Chandigarh.
East Bengal vs Punjab FC odds have drifted slightly in the last 24 hours, with Punjab now available at around @3.40 for the win – clear value against a Kolkata side missing creativity. Our model gives Punjab a 42 % chance of victory (fair price ~2.38), meaning the current market significantly undervalues Panagiotis Dilmperis’ men.
Our Prediction: East Bengal 0-1 Punjab FC
| Prediction Type | Prediction | Odds |
| Full Time Result | Punjab FC to win | 2.01 |
| Both Teams to Score | No | 1.72 |
| Total Goals | Under 2.5 | 1.5 |
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