ISL 2023-24: Jamshedpur FC, Hyderabad FC eye first win of campaign

Both sides haven’t had the best start to their ISL campaign so far.

Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC will lock horns in Gameweek 3 of the Indian Super League (ISL 2023-24), on the 5th of October at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur.

Jamshedpur will be playing in front of their fans for the very first time this season, and will be looking to get all three points on Thursday night. The Men of Steel drew their opening tie against East Bengal, before a narrow defeat to Kerala on Sunday.

The Nizams will be aiming to put up their first points on the board, as their Gameweek 2 defeat against East Bengal restricted them from opening their account in the league table.

The teams have been a major force in the past seasons, and will be looking to get on the upward trend with a dominative performance. With guaranteed drama and high quality football awaiting us, here is everything you need to know about this Thursday night showdown.

Stakes

Jamshedpur FC

After a disappointing finish to their 2022-23 season, Jamshedpur have brought about some major changes to their frontforce, and have acquired some top-quality foreign signings, topped off with their new head coach Scott Cooper.  

The Men of Steel have faced two extremely tough sides in their opening two games, but fought bravely in either fixtures. However, with just a solitary point from two games, the side will be looking for that winning feeling when they come up against Hyderabad. 

Jamshedpur are also yet to score a goal in the ISL this season. Scott Cooper will have to find solutions to the problems emerging in the final third, or else a tough night will await for them at the JRD Tata Sports Complex this Thursday.

Hyderabad FC

Hyderabad lost their opening match against East Bengal through a Cleiton Silva masterclass, and will look to open their account against Jamshedpur. Considering the kind of performances they have produced over the past few seasons, the Nizams are one of the favourites for this ISL campaign. With teams like Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters already trying to widen the gap from the rest of the teams, Hyderabad will have to get their season up and running at the earliest.

Injury & Team news 

Laxmikant Kattimani got injured in Hyderabad’s previous game, and will be out of action for about a month.

Ritwik Das couldn't feature in the last two games for Jamshedpur FC due to an injury. He is recovering and might be on the bench, if not the starting line-up.

Head-to-head

Total Matches Played – 8

JFC wins – 3

HFC wins – 1

Draws – 4

Predicted Line-ups

Jamshedpur FC (3-4-2-1):

TP Rehenesh (GK), Pratik Chaudhari, Elsinho, Laldinpuia, Emil Benny, Pronay Halder, Jeremy Manzorro, Imran Khan, Nongdamba Naorem, Alen Stevanovic, Daniel Chima Chukwu

Hyderabad FC (4-3-3)

Laxmikant Kattimani (GK), Nikhil Poojary, Nim Dorjee, Joao Victor, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Sahil Tavora, Hitesh Sharma, Petteri Pennanen, Joe Knowles, Felipe Amorim, Mohammed Yasir

Players to watch

Jeremy Manzorro (Jamshedpur FC)

Manzorro has been fantastic for Jamshedpur FC in their first two games of the season, and has been the most lively player, controlling the tempo of the game. The Frenchman’s physicality helps him in winning duels, and he has recovered 4.5 balls on an average in the first two games.

Also, his technical abilities combined with a great understanding of the game, helpshim get into great positions. If Manzorro successfully establishes a connection with Chukwu up front, the two can be a lethal force for Jamshedpur on Thursday.

Joe Knowles (Hyderabad FC)

Knowles made his first start for the Nizams on Saturday, and seemed to be a lively force down the left wing. The 27-year-old is among Hyderabad’s top signings for this season, and he showed promising signs in the game against East Bengal.

However, Thursday poses an opportunity to Knowles to introduce himself to Indian football, as he will seek to make an impact on the game.

Did you know?

• Jamshedpur are among the only two teams, who haven't scored a goal in the league so far. 
• Hyderabad’s only win against Jamshedpur came last season, courtesy of a 1-0 victory.
• Jamshedpur FC skipper Alen Stevanovic made his senior debut at Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho.

Telecast

The kick-off time for the Jamshedpur FC vs Hyderabad FC game is at 8:00 PM IST. The match will be played at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur. The live broadcast and live streaming of the game will be available on the Sports18 Network (Sports18 1 Channel/VH1 Channel) and JioCinema app, respectively.