ISL 2023-24: Mumbai City meet Kerala Blasters at home

Both teams are unbeaten in this ISL edition!

Mumbai City FC have finally found their way back home, after a gruelling stretch of consecutive away matches in both the ISL and the AFC Champions League. The Islanders now face Ivan Vukomanovic's Kerala Blasters, who are in hot form recently.

However, their recent performances have showcased a sort of split personality. Des Buckingham's squad experienced a painful defeat at the hands of the Uzbekistan side Navabhor in the AFC Champions League, following a superb run in the ISL, marked by a victory against NorthEast United and a hard-fought draw against Odisha.

Let’s take a look on what we can expect from this exciting fixture:

The Stakes

Mumbai City FC

Des Buckingham, the head coach of Mumbai City FC, stressed the importance of playing more matches in his previous post-match press conference after a 3-0 loss against Navbahor. He believes that once his side reaches that stage, they will surely perform better in both the tournaments they have participated in.

The Islanders currently hold the fifth position in the ISL standings, accumulating a total of 4 points. Under the leadership of Des Buckingham, the team has delivered brilliant performances in the ISL 2023-24 campaign till now. With this strong foundation, they are eager to maintain their momentum and continue their successful run.

Kerala Blasters

On the other hand, Ivan Vukomanovic's Kerala Blasters have demonstrated a masterclass in how to dominate in the ISL. The team's current performance has been nothing short of impeccable.

In their opening ISL match against Bengaluru, the Tuskers extracted a long-awaited revenge by defeating the Bengaluru FC side, who were missing their star player, Sunil Chhetri. They also secured a victory against Jamshedpur recently and are now aiming to capitalise on these impressive outings to overpower Mumbai and secure the top position in the league.

Injury & Team News

Mumbai City FC both have a full roster to choose from in the match. Kerala Blasters will miss Ishan Pandita and Saurav Mandal. However, Rahul KP and Bryce Miranda are back in training.

Head-to-Head

Mumbai City and Kerala Blasters have faced each other 18 times in the Indian Super League. Out of these 18 games, Mumbai City have won eight whereas Kerala Blasters have come out victorious on four occasions . Six matches have ended in a draw.

Predicted Line-ups

Mumbai City FC (4-2-3-1)

Phurba Lachenpa (GK), Rahul Bheke, Rostyn Griffiths, Mehtab Singh, Akash Mishra, Apuia, Yoëll van Nieff, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Greg Stewart, Bipin Singh, Jorge Pereyra Diaz.

Kerala Blasters (4-2-3-1)

Sachin Suresh (GK), Prabir Das, Milos Drincic, Pritam Kotal, Aiban Dohling, Jeakson Singh, Danish Farooq, Mohammed Aimen, Adrian Luna, Daisuke Sakai, Kwame Peprah

Players to Watch

Greg Stewart (Mumbai City FC)

Mumbai City's attacking midfielder Greg Stewart, poses the biggest threat to Kerala Blasters. The Scottish international has played a crucial role in dictating the tempo of the game and is currently in terrific form for the Islanders. Given space and time, Stewart knows how to exploit his opponents!

Adrian Luna (Kerala Blasters)

Adrian Luna is the driving force behind Kerala Blasters. The midfielder scored against Bengaluru FC and was also on the scoresheet against Jamshedpur FC. Apart from his goal, the skipper is crucial in retaining possession and combining well with the attackers.

His vision and creative output make him a dangerous operator. Mumbai City FC should try their best to keep Luna at bay.

Did You Know?

• Last season, the Islanders won both the home and away matches against Kerala Blasters.
• Adrian Luna of Kerala Blasters and Jorge Pereyra Diaz of Mumbai City FC have scored in both of their team's respective ISL 2023-24 matches.
• Jorge Pereyra Diaz was brought to India by Kerala Blasters.

Telecast

The kick-off for the Mumbai City FC vs Kerala Blasters game is at 8:00 PM IST on 8 October 2023 . The match will be played at the Mumbai Football Arena. 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. Viewers from abroad can watch the game on OneFootball.