Mumbai City, Chennaiyin face-off in clash of playoffs contenders

The Marina Machans will aim to regain form after a loss to Southern rivals Bengaluru FC last week.

Mumbai City FC seem to be on a roll right now, having bagged three successive victories and secured a spot at the top of the Indian Super League points table. The Islanders will host Chennaiyin FC at the GMC Stadium with an intention to sustain this positive momentum. Csaba Laszlo’s men started the competition on a bright note, as they notched a 2-1 victory over Jamshedpur FC in their opening game of the season. 

However, the Marina Machans played out a goalless draw against Kerala Blasters after that, whereas Bengaluru FC inflicted a narrow 1-0 defeat on them. The team had impressed plenty of people with their affirmative, positive approach in the game against Jamshedpur. They will be eager to regain their mojo, though it will be a challenging task against a high-flying Mumbai City FC side. 

The Stakes

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“We need to put our focus in the game, not on the table and prepare well for the game and the consequence is the position on the table. We don’t need to think about this when we are playing during the game,” head coach Sergio Lobera had said upon being asked if there’s any additional pressure to maintain the team’s run at the first position in the table. 

As much as Lobera would like to ignore it, there are certainly high expectations from Mumbai to hold on to their current place in the standings. The added incentive of qualification to the group stages of the AFC Champions League will definitely interest the Islanders. The squad that they have assembled has the calibre to finish above the rest of the teams in the league. However, it is of utmost necessity to not lose ground at any stage of the campaign. With a new roster, Mumbai have higher expectations too and that immensely increases the significance of this encounter. 

For Chennaiyin, it is all about trying to set their season in motion after a couple of below-par outings. They really showed shades of being a well-oiled unit in the first match and it is integral to re-discover that touch before it’s too late. The Marina Machans have been one of the more successful clubs in the ISL and they will be naturally eyeing a playoffs spot this time too. Given that they had to almost pull off a heist to make it to the top four in 2019-20, Chennaiyin will be keen to ensure that they start the season on a much more assertive note this term. 

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Those hopes, however, have slightly dampened after their last two results and Laszlo’s side will be edging to bag three points against the Islanders. 

Team News

Mandar Rao Dessai missed the previous game for personal reasons and could sit out this one too. Raynier Fernandes returned to the field against Odisha FC and could be in contention for a starting berth. Lobera has made several changes to his playing XI so far, mostly because he has quality alternatives to choose from. This game could throw up a similar pattern. 

On the other hand, head coach Laszlo had termed Anirudh Thapa’s injury in the game against Bengaluru to be “really bad.” The central midfielder will most certainly miss out against Mumbai, whereas Chhuantea Fanai could be another absentee. 

Head-to-Head

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rUXL98tQxY

The two teams have squared off on 12 occasions in the ISL. Chennaiyin FC have notched six victories, whereas Mumbai City FC have emerged triumphant four times. Two matches have ended up in a draw. 

Probable Lineups

Mumbai City FC: Amrinder (GK); Rakip, Fall, Mehtab, Vignesh; Jahouh, Borges; Goddard, Boumous, Bipin; Le Fondre.

Chennaiyin FC: Kaith (GK); Reagan, Sabia, Sipovic, Lalrinzuala; Tangri, Edwin; Goncalves, Crivellaro, Chhangte; Sylvester.

Man To Watch

Rowllin Borges (Mumbai City FC)

https://youtu.be/h9vf3UhpYHc?t=48

Rowllin Borges has been critical to Lobera’s setup so far, marshalling the midfield, providing defensive cover and adding up as an attacking outlet on some occasions. He bagged his first goal of the season through a stunning header against Odisha FC. Against SC East Bengal, Borges had played the sumptuous long pass that broke Hugo Boumous free and allowed him to setup Adam le Fondre’s first goal of the game. 

These examples indicate that Borges is adding new dimensions to his gameplay, which used to be majorly concerned with the defensive aspect so far. He has made 4.25 tackles, 3.75 interceptions and played 67.75 passes on an average in the four matches so far. In Thapa’s absence, Chennaiyin will have their task cut out to contain Borges’ influence in both halves of the pitch. 

Deepak Tangri (Chennaiyin FC)

Deepak Tangri has been extensively used by Laszlo this season, as he has clocked 256 minutes in three matches. The 21-year-old has fared fairly well, but will arguably have to bear greater responsibilities in a changed midfield combination. His primary task could possibly be to deprive Jahouh of space to dictate proceedings from the middle of the park. 

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Tangri has made six tackles on an average per game this season and he will have to do more of the same to restrict the influence of the likes of Jahouh, Hugo Boumous and others in midfield. Tangri might need to be more assertive on the ball and get into the thick of the action more frequently. He has recorded only 41.66 touches and 25.67 passes in each game on an average this season. The player is set to face his toughest challenge of the campaign so far, a game that will truly test his quality, attitude and character. 

Did You Know? 

• Chennaiyin FC edged past Mumbai City FC to secure a place in the playoffs by defeating the Islanders in their final game of the 2019-20 season. Former Mumbai skipper Lucian Goian scored the winner for Marina Machans. 
• The contests between these two teams are generally very closely fought. Only thrice in their 12 face-offs in the ISL has either team scored three or more goals in the match. 
• Mumbai City FC have won only one out of their last five matches against Chennaiyin FC in the ISL. 

Telecast

The live telecast of the match between Mumbai City FC and Chennaiyin FC will be available on Star Sports 1 SD and HD, Star Sports 2 SD and HD (English), Star Sports Hindi 1 SD and HD, Star Sports 3 and several other regional languages. Live streaming of the match will be available on Hotstar and Jio TV.