Preview: Distressed Jamshedpur FC face table-toppers Mumbai City FC

The Men of Steel have won only one game in this season, whereas the Islanders have lost only once.

After a win over Chennaiyin FC in their previous game, Mumbai City FC are set to lock horns with Owen Coyle’s Jamshedpur FC at the GMC Stadium on Monday evening.  The Islanders are currently placed at the top of the table with 12 points, suffering only one defeat in their five games. However, Owen Coyle’s project at Jamshedpur is yet to gather steam, as the Men of Steel have mustered a solitary victory so far. 

Jamshedpur secured a morale-boosting victory over ATK Mohun Bagan a week ago. But, they followed it up with a goalless draw against a depleted SC East Bengal. The side clearly missed the opportunity to gather some much-needed momentum ahead of this challenging contest against Sergio Lobera’s men. Nonetheless, it will be amateurish to rule out Jamshedpur’s chances given the tactical acumen of head coach Coyle. 

The Stakes

Mumbai City FC

“Always, I want to win. Always, I try to win. For us, three points is very important and always we want to win,” Sergio Lobera had asserted after Mumbai’s gritty win over Chennaiyin FC. Although it was far from a typical Lobera performance, the Islanders secured three points through an approach that the Spaniard has been accused of lacking in the last few years. 

Mumbai City FC relied on set-pieces to comeback from a goal down when they struggled to get going with their usual, free-flowing brand of football. They showed that they had a Plan B to open up new avenues and get desired results. Like last time around, the key is in persisting with this momentum. 

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Jamshedpur FC

Jamshedpur FC have harboured significant ambitions by roping in Coyle. They have a fairly formidable squad at their disposal too. The roster has a nice blend of seasoned internationals, along with some youthful exuberance. As of now, the issue seems to be in getting the players acquainted with each other’s styles and the coach’s vision. It is only a matter of time before these are resolved and the team starts playing to their optimum potential. 

However, the team need to get behind the wheel soon, with one-fifth of the regular season already rounded up. The club should be wary of conceding too much ground early on in the campaign. 

Team News

Mumbai City FC

Lobera has been providing adequate rest to his players due to the closely-packed fixtures. The team doesn’t seem to have any injury concerns right now. However, Mandar Rao Dessai will miss the game, as he has stayed out of action since a bereavement in the family earlier this month. 

Jamshedpur FC

Laldinliana Renthlei was sent off in Jamshedpur’s previous match and he will be serving his suspension in this game. Narender Gehlot, Nicholas Fitzgerald and David Grande will be sitting out due to their respective fitness concerns. 

Head-To-Head

The two teams have squared off on six occasions so far in their history. Jamshedpur FC hold the upper hand over Mumbai City FC with three victories to their name. Mumbai City FC have notched the victory twice, whereas a single encounter ended up in a draw.

The last time these two sides met, Mumbai City FC defeated Jamshedpur FC 2-1 with Raynier Fernandes scoring the winner in the 56th minute.

Probable Lineups

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

Jamshedpur FC: Rehenesh (GK); Amin, Eze, Hartley, Lallawmawma; Rahman, Monroy, Alex; Lalnunfela, Valskis, Jackichand.

Men To Watch

Mourtada Fall (Mumbai City FC)

Mourtada Fall has been a rock at the back for Mumbai City FC, enabling them to maintain three clean-sheets so far. The 32-year-old delivered a stellar performance against the Marina Machans in the previous game. As Chennaiyin kept on piling up attacks, Fall defended resolutely and made timely clearances to keep Mumbai in the game. He also played a crucial role in the set-piece routine through which Adam Le Fondre bagged the winner. 

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Nerijus Valskis has scored five of Jamshedpur’s six goals in their five matches so far. The Lithuanian will expectedly be the primary focal point of the team’s attack in the coming game. He will be pitted against an in-form Fall and this particular duel will largely determine the outcome of the contest. The central defender has made seven tackles, 14 interceptions and 26 clearances at a passing accuracy of 83.24% in four games. Fall’s sublime skills with the ball coupled with a towering physical presence make him a terrific asset in the rearguard. He will surely have his task cut out to neutralize Valskis’ threat in the game. 

Aitor Monroy (Jamshedpur FC)

The duo of Ahmed Jahouh and Rowllin Borges has pretty much run the show for Mumbai in the last three games. However, Aitor Monroy promises to put forth an enticing challenge in front of Lobera’s midfield pivot. The Spaniard cuts down the opposition’s passing lanes and brilliantly shields his team’s defensive line. He is tenacious in terms of recovering the ball and has the passing acumen to dictate play too. 

Monroy has made 6.4 tackles and three clearances on an average in five games this season. Chennaiyin showed in the previous match that Mumbai can be compelled into making errors by matching their intensity in midfield. Monroy is capable of breathing down Jahouh’s neck and restricting the Moroccan from influencing proceedings as usual. If that happens, we will have quite an exciting contest to look forward to. 

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Did You Know? 

• Mumbai secured twin 2-1 victories over Jamshedpur in ISL 2019/20. Incidentally, six different players scored a goal apiece in the two matches combined. 
• Ahmed Jahouh (182) and Aitor Monroy (114) recorded the top two most number of tackles last season. 
• Neither of the two teams have scored more than two goals in any of the six matches that they have played against each other until now. 

Telecast

The live telecast of the match between Mumbai City FC and Jamshedpur FC will be telecast 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. 

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