Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC Preview, Predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast details | ISL 2024-25

The new season of the Indian Super League is nearly upon us

The 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign kicks off with a feisty clash between heavyweights Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Friday (13 September).

It’s a repeat of last season’s ISL final, with the Mariners eyeing revenge over the Islanders for robbing them of the chance of winning the ISL double last season. With both teams eager to begin the new campaign with an emphatic win, this should make for a thrilling curtain-raiser for the new ISL season.

Buckle in your seatbelts as only one day remains for the ISL 2024-25's kickoff 🤩🎇#indianfootball #isl11 #indiansuperleague pic.twitter.com/0PME8deRch

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) September 12, 2024

The Stakes

Mohun Bagan

The Mariners might’ve clinched the ISL league shield last season, but their significant ambitions will push them to finally do the ISL double this time around. They still have one of the strongest teams in the competition, with a mix of seasoned Indian players and top-quality experienced stars to give them that extra push during matches. Coming off the disappointing loss in the Durand Cup final to NorthEast United, Jose Molina will aim to mark his ISL comeback with a statement win.

He’ll urge his side to be defensively much stronger than they were in the Durand Cup and keep control of the ball. With the home support rallying them on, the Mariners should look to produce a thrilling attacking display and keep pushing at the visitors. A big win will definitely instill Mohun Bagan as early favorites for the title, while a draw can leave a slightly bitter feeling. A loss against a title rival, however, can pose more questions about the overall capability of this squad to win anything big this season.

Mumbai City FC

Petr Kratky’s side was able to produce a commendable display to silence the Salt Lake Stadium and win the ISL Cup at the end of last season. They might’ve had changes in the squad (with Apuia joining Mohun Bagan), but the Islanders still have enough pedigree in their squad to compete for top honors. Kratky will urge his side to produce a similar sturdy and efficient performance against the Mariners as they did the last time these two sides met.

They’ll look to trouble the Mariners’ on the transitions and capitalize on their defensive issues to torment them with constant, quick attacking moves. A win for Mumbai City at the Salt Lake Stadium can be the best way for them to begin their title charge, while a bad loss can be an early setback in the said title race.

4⃣8⃣ hours to go ⏳#MBSGMCFC #ISL #AamchiCity 🔵 pic.twitter.com/94Dy7pp1wX

— Mumbai City FC (@MumbaiCityFC) September 11, 2024

Injury & Team News

Mohun Bagan

The Mariners are still sweating on the fitness of Jamie Maclaren, who recently joined first-team training. Despite that, there are questions about his availability for this game. Dheeraj Singh is another injury double.

Mumbai City FC

The Islanders are likely to miss Akash Mishra for this clash after he picked up a nasty injury that kept him out of the Intercontinental Cup as well. The rest of the squad is fit.

Head-to-Head

Matches Played – 10

Mohun Bagan wins – 1

Mumbai City wins – 7

Draws – 2

Predicted Lineups

Mohun Bagan (3-5-2)

Vishal Kaith (GK); Tom Aldred, Alberto Rodriguez, Subhasish Bose; Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Liston Colaco; Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings

Mumbai City (4-2-3-1)

Phurba Lachenpa (GK); Valpuia, Tiri, Mehtab Singh, Sanjeev Stalin; Yoell van Nieff, Hitesh Sharma; Lallianzuala Chhangte, Brandon Fernandes, Bipin Singh; Nikolaos Karelis

Players to Watch

Dimitri Petratos (Mohun Bagan)

Dimitri Petratos was the MVP for Mohun Bagan last season, helping them win the ISL shield and also winning the ISL Golden Ball award for his heroics. He’s gotten plenty of pre-season preparations through the Durand Cup and will be looking to get revenge on Mumbai City for that bitter final loss last time around. Petratos remains the orchestrator in the Mariners’ attack in this new system and continues to get the utmost freedom to wander around in free spaces and create trouble.

He’ll look to get into perfect areas around the final third and unleash chaos with his clever delivery to create chances for his teammates. Petratos will also aim to use his set-piece prowess to amplify Mohun Bagan’s goal-scoring ability and get into more scoring positions to put his productive finishing prowess to good use, adding that extra bite to the Mariners’ offensive threat.

Nikolaos Karelis (Mumbai City FC)

Having been brought aboard as a direct replacement for Jorge Pereyra Diaz, there will be quite a lot of expectations on Greek forward Nikolaos Karelis to produce the goods for Mumbai City up-front. The 32-year-old is quite an experienced customer and someone who has played in many different countries in his career. Karelis is a commanding forward who leads from the front with his smart pressing, accurate link-up play, and by making himself an option for teammates in the final third.

He’ll look to combine smartly with the Mumbai City players to disrupt the Mohun Bagan backline and open up empty spaces for the Islanders to penetrate through. But Karelis’ biggest task will be to get on the end of the goal-scoring chances and finish them off to ensure that the Islanders have a successful start to the campaign.

Did you know?

• Mohun Bagan’s only win over Mumbai City in the ISL came last season when they defeated them 2-1 to clinch the league shield championship.
• Nikolaos Karelis has four goals in the UEFA Europa League to his record, having scored two apiece for Panathinaikos and KRC Genk.
• Alberto Rodriguez was part of Persib Bandung’s Liga 1 (Indonesian top division) last season.

Telecast Details

The 2024-25 Indian Super League opener between Mohun Bagan and Mumbai City will take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata on Friday (13 September). It will kick off at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be shown live on Sports 18 and be available for streaming on Jio Cinema. International viewers can also watch the match on the OneFootball app.

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