Preview: Mumbai City, Jamshedpur FC face-off in battle for top spot

The Men of Steel are yet to face defeat in the ISL 2021-22 season.

Following ideal starts to their respective campaigns, Mumbai City and Jamshedpur FC will look to take the top spot on the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 points table when they face each other on Thursday, December 8. A win can help the Men of Steel overtake the Islanders who are currently in first place, while the latter themselves will look to extend their lead at the top by three points.

Jamshedpur FC's defence have been impressive so far - regardless they will have a tough task against Mumbai City, who have scored 12 goals in four outings. Both the teams have a good balance of domestic and foreign players which separates them from the rest of the lot. Another similarity between both sides is their style of play, in which the midfielders try to win balls and dictate play. Who will prevail - the young Indian midfield of Jamshedpur or the proven professionals of Mumbai - is something that we will find out on the pitch on Thursday evening.

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The Stakes

Mumbai City FC

After their only loss to the Hyderabad FC in their campaign opener, Mumbai City bounced back stronger than before and destroyed ATK Mohun Bagan, with a 5-1 victory followed by a dominating outing against Bengaluru FC. Against Jamshedpur, they will look to carry forward their scoring momentum from the last few matches and continue building as head coach Des Buckingham has asserted time and again. They managed to score thrice from their four shots on target in the last match, which shows their composure in front of goal.

Igor Angulo broke the deadlock against BFC and will be eyeing for consecutive Golden Boots, having scored four goals in four games. Ygor Catatau has already scored twice this season, despite coming off the bench. Lalengmawia and Ahmed Jahouh are bossing the midfield and have worked as a seamless unit. Rahul Bheke and Mourtada Fall have been rock-solid at the heart of the defence and have to pull up their socks again to get the three points against an impressive Jamshedpur side.

Jamshedpur FC

The Men of Steel's last game in ISL 2021-22 resulted in a 2-1 victory over ATK Mohun Bagan. Their defensive department looks impressive with Eli Sabia and Peter Hartley pairing up well against the famous attackers of ATKMB. The team functioned skillfully and showed discipline to take home the full points from the match. Unlike previous seasons where they depended largely on Nerijus Valskis, Jamshedpur FC have six different goalscorers so far. Youngsters Ishan Pandita and Komal Thatal are yet to shine and will look to make an impact in the coming games.

Although the Men of Steel kept ATK Mohun Bagan at bay in their last game, they will have to level up their game against Mumbai City. Owen Coyle is tactically sound and will be shaping his team up in order to win against the Islanders.

Team News

As of now, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy seems to be the sole injury concern for Mumbai city FC, after he limped off following the foul by Leander D'Cunha in his season opener.

For Jamshedpur FC, Mobashir Rahman, who is one of Owen Coyle's favourite disciples, will miss the game. Attacker Farukh Choudhary is also out with a long-term injury, while Seiminlen Doungel's availability is doubtful. Jordan Murray may get a few minutes under his belt, but isn't fit enough to start.

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Head-to-Head

Jamshedpur FC possess an impressive record against Mumbai City, with four wins and two draws in eight outings. In the 2020-21 season of the ISL, the Men of Steel held the islanders to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting, before beating them 2-0 in the reverse fixture.

Probable Lineups

Mumbai City FC (4-2-3-1): Nawaz (GK); Ranawade, Fall, Bheke, Rakip; Lalengmawia, Jahouh; Vikram Pratap Singh, Cassinho, Bipin Singh; Angulo.

Jamshedpur FC (4-4-2): Rehenesh (GK), Renthlei, Sabia, Hartley, Ricky, Boris Singh, Jitendra Singh, Thatal, Stewart, Valskis.

Man to Watch

Igor Angulo (Mumbai City)

Last season's Golden Boot winner with FC Goa, Angulo has already bagged for goals with his trademark striker's finesse. He torments defences with his tactful link-up play and clever runs throughout the game. Intelligent half-space and blind side runs with effortless ball control and always keeping his balance, makes him an absolute danger for any team.

Against the two seasoned centre-backs of Jamshedpur, Igor will have a tough job to score, but we are well aware of his goalscoring prowess and one can expect him to make things easier for his side by striking an early goal.

Nerijus Valskis (Jamshedpur FC)

Nerijus valskis needs no words, his goals speak for him. The 2019-20 season's Golden Boot winner is one of the deadliest strikers in the Indian Super League. He has scored 25 goals, of which 10 have come for Jamshedpur FC and  with a quality playmaker like Greg Stewart behind him, he will certainly be a nightmare for the opposition.

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Did You Know?

• These two sides have never played out any goalless draw, so one can expect an entertaining game with some goals.
• In the ISL 2021-22 season, Boris Singh scored his only ISL goal against Mumbai City after coming off the bench.
• Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City have the last two seasons' Golden Boot winners - Valskis and Angulo respectively. But neither of them won it with their current team.

Telecast

The encounter between Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City will take place at the JLN Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on December 9. Kick-off will be at 7:30 pm IST. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 2 HD and will also be available for live streaming on the Disney+Hotstar platform and the Jio TV app.

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