Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC lineups, team news, prediction & preview

The Shers will be gunning to record all three points against the Islanders.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Punjab FC and head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis will be looking to turn their season around at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as they welcome Mumbai City FC to New Delhi. The Shers won the reverse fixture in Mumbai in November 2024 as they recorded an impressive 3-0 win courtesy of goals from Ezequiel Vidal, Luka Majcen and Mushaga Bakenga.

It is a must-win game for both sides as the race for the top six intensifies with each passing match. The match week 17 has huge ramifications for both clubs, as they only are separated by four points in the ISL league standings.

Stakes

Punjab FC

The Shers have had a tumultuous season after the early season success. It’s been a season filled with ups and downs for head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis as his men have struggled to maintain a consistent run of good results. They have lost four of their last five games with their last victory dating back to December 2024.

The Shers have dropped nine points from winning positions which speaks about their lack of confidence in protecting their lead. It’s now or never got the Shers and coach Dilmperis to get a result if they are looking to book their ISL playoffs berth.

Mumbai City FC

The Islanders’ shaky 2024-25 ISL campaign continued with a shocking 3-0 loss to Jamshedpur FC in their last game. Coach Petr Kratky will be hoping the second half of the campaign brings an opportunity for them to bounce back before the ISL playoffs. The Czech head coach will be urging his players to take the fight to Punjab FC, who have wobbled a lot in recent games this season.

Mumbai City FC will once again try to play on the front foot and will need to be at their ruthless best to get all three points against the Shers. The Islanders can build on their momentum with a big win in Delhi, but a draw or loss can spell a tough couple of days at the club.

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Injury and Team News

Punjab FC will be able to field a fully fit side against Mumbai City FC. The Islanders will be missing centre forward Ayush Chikkara and left back Akash Mishra due to knee injury and cruciate ligament injury respectively against Punjab.

Head-to-Head Record

Total Matches played – 3

Punjab FC wins – 1

Mumbai City FC wins – 2

Draws – 0

Predicted Lineups

Punjab FC (3-4-3)

Ravi Kumar (GK); Pramveer, Melroy Assisi, Suresh Meitei; Tekcham Abhishek Singh, Ricky Shabong, Nikhil Prabhu, Leon Augustine; Asmir Suljic, Nihal Sudeesh, Luka Majcen

Mumbai City (4-3-3)

TP Rehenesh (GK), Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Mehtab Singh, Tiri, Nathan Rodrigues, Yoell van Nieff, Jayesh Rane, Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Nikos Karelis

Players to Watch

Luka Majcen (Punjab FC)

The 35-year-old Slovenian striker has been one of the star performers for Punjab FC since their arrival into the Indian top flight. Taking the role of captaincy has brought the best out of Majcen and he will be hoping to give a good account of himself against Mumbai.

A player known for his finishing and ball-carrying abilities, he has contributed five goals and three assists in 10 games this season. Apart from being the top scorer for his club, he also has recorded the most number of goal contributions for the Shers this season.

Brandon Fernandes (Mumbai City FC)

The attacking midfielder has had a far-from-ideal start to his Mumbai City career. Despite making 13 appearances this season, Fernandes has contributed only one assist this season. As a new summer signing, the 30-year-old has struggled to get going properly and will now hope to turn things around for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

The reigning ISL champions signed Fernandes as he possesses the skillset to be a tormentor for any ISL side, but will need to be at his best against Punjab FC. Fernandes will need to be smarter with his movement to outsmart a Punjab FC side that is looking to get back on track this season.

Did You Know?

• When Punjab FC leads 1-0 at home, they win 83 per cent of their matches.
• When Mumbai City leads 0-1 away from home, they win 87 per cent of their matches.
• The average number of goals in meetings with Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC is 4.

Telecast

The Punjab FC vs Mumbai City game will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on January 16, 2025, at 7:30 PM IST. Live telecast of the fixture will be available on Sports18 Network (Sports18 1/VH1 Channel).

Live streaming of the game will be available on the JioCinema app. Viewers from abroad can use OneFootball to stream the game.

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