Details of the police and East Bengal FC clash

Iraq's Al-Shorta will travel to the farthest reaches of Asia with high hopes from their fans as they face East Bengal FC tomorrow evening, Tuesday, October 13, 2026.

The upcoming clash is part of the calculations for the second round of the AFC Champions League group stage, and it comes at a time when "the Green" are looking to break the tie and secure top spot in the group early.

The Asian clash kicks off at 4:45 PM Baghdad and Mecca time, with East Bengal FC facing Al-Shorta in the AFC Champions League 2026/2027, in a continental test that carries many complex calculations.

The match will take place at the historic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata, India, featuring East Bengal FC against Al Talaba.

Despite the common misconception that it is located in the nearby state of Bihar, this massive sports edifice is the main stronghold for Kolkata clubs, boasting a vast pitch and an enormous capacity exceeding 85,000 spectators. This imposes a significant physical effort on the police players to cover the spaces and regulate their breathing throughout both halves.

The Iraqi team, coached by Tunisian Sami Al-Trabelsi, enters the match with iron determination; the team is looking to achieve victory and collect all three points to move steadily towards a qualification spot. Al-Shorta is training in India in preparation for the match against East Bengal FC in the AFC Champions League.

Al-Shorta are armed with the fantastic morale boost they gained from the first round after successfully overcoming Al-Seeb with a narrow 1-0 victory in Baghdad. The team is now heading to India to face East Bengal FC in the AFC Champions League, which has given them an early points advantage.

The Green team's camp is filled with a strong desire to make amends and win back the fans, especially since the team's delegation left the capital Baghdad immediately after the disappointing local setback in the Baghdad Derby; following the disappointing goalless draw (0-0) against the elegant Al Talaba in the Iraq Stars League after resolving an administrative crisis.

On the other hand, the Indian team will not be an easy target in front of their fans. East Bengal FC enters the clash motivated by the result of the first round, where they returned with an exciting and positive draw away from home against Al-Hussein of Jordan with a score of 2-2. Al-Shorta is heading to India to face East Bengal FC in the AFC Champions League.

The hosts are looking to exploit home advantage and the humid weather to cause a major upset and seize the top spot in Group D from the champion of Iraq, suggesting a tightly contested and tactical match that will be difficult for both sides.