Mumbai City & Kerala Blasters lock horns to end winless streak

Both sides have won only one game in the league this season till now.

Mumbai City FC face Kerala Blasters, as they desperately seek a return to winning ways, after a five-match long winless streak since their victory in their first game of the league.

Jorge Costa’s men return back home after almost a month, that comprised of the international break followed by two consecutive away games against NorthEast United and ATK. Kerala Blasters, on the other hand, haven’t fared much better either and have a lot to play for in this particular encounter.

They have secured merely five points from six matches and are languishing at the eighth spot in the points table. Coming on the back of an already poor campaign last time around and with a third of this season having already taken place, the Blasters need a swift resurgence before it is too late.

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The Stakes

Mumbai City FC

Mumbai City have a lot to play for and there wouldn’t be a better opportunity than against Kerala Blasters to turn their fortunes around. To begin with, Jorge Costa needs to ensure that the home fans are treated to a pleasing brand of football and not a near humiliation that the team suffered against Odisha FC and FC Goa earlier.

Both these matches had left the supporters of Mumbai in disarray. Kerala Blasters themselves haven’t been in the best of form in recent times and Costa would be desperate for a victory after a couple of close draws in the last few weeks. The smell of three points has deserted the Islanders for more than a month now and to stimulate an instant invigoration in their form, nothing less than a victory would be acceptable from this game.

Kerala Blasters

Kerala need to ensure that they sneak some wins soon enough, as they are carrying forward the burden of an utterly abysmal campaign from last time around too.

Eelco Schattorie is a name that has inspired confidence among the Blasters' faithful and though his work with the club has been mildly promising thus far, it has still failed to yield adequate results. Hence, Thursday’s match presents a peculiar situation. Both teams are on edge and the coaches would surely be feeling the pressure as the season progresses.

Team News

Mumbai City FC

The international break aided Mumbai, as Rowllin Borges and Modou Sougou marked their returns thereafter and thus, this has considerably strengthened the side. Mato Grgic remains a long-term absentee and there are is news regarding him coming back to action anytime soon. This means that Pratik Chaudhary will continue to partner Sarthak Golui at the heart of the backline against Kerala Blasters. Mumbai City also continue to be one of the few teams in the league, that are currently playing an all-Indian back four.

Kerala Blasters

Mario Arques will most definitely not feature in the upcoming game, as he continues to recover from an injury. Mouhamadou Moustapha is another player who could sit out with an, as yet, unknown knock. Rahul KP is also set to miss the match with a hamstring injury.

Head-To-Head

Mumbai City and Kerala Blasters have had a really peculiar record against each other, as out of the 11 times that they have faced each other, five of those games have ended in a draw. Kerala Blasters have won two matches, whilst Mumbai have emerged victorious on four occasions.

Man to Watch

Modou Sougou (Mumbai City FC)

Modou Sougou was Mumbai City’s most important player in the frontline last season, but an early hamstring injury has hampered him from making consistent performances in this edition of the ISL. However, he has been back to the starting lineup, playing in a slightly wider role, as he has to majorly supplement Amine Chermiti, who has been playing centrally in all the matches so far. Sougou needs to work efficiently in tandem with Chermiti, if they are to produce the required results.

Sahal Abdul Samad (Kerala Blasters)

Sahal wasn’t consistently playing in the first couple of games, but his creative acumen would play a critical role in Kerala’s chances of securing the three points in tomorrow’s encounter. The battle between Sahal, aiming to interlink between the midfield and forward line and him facing an obstacle in the shape of Borges, will make for an interesting duel.

Probable Lineups

Mumbai City FC

Amrinder; Souvik, Golui, Pratik, Bose; Borges, Machado, Larbi; Raynier, Sougou, Chermiti.

Kerala Blasters

Rehenesh; Rakip, Gaikwad, Drobarov, Jessel; Jeakson, Cidoncha, Sahal, Prasanth, Messi Bouli; Ogbeche.

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Did You Know?

• Both Mumbai and Kerala have failed to win even a single game ever since their victory in their respective first matches of the league this season.
• Mumbai City FC would have fond memories of playing against Kerala Blasters, as they secured a massive 6-1 victory against them last season, with Modou Sougou amassing four goals in that match at the Mumbai Football Arena.
• Raju Gaikwad, who is expected to play at the heart of the backline for the Blasters, has previously had two stints with Mumbai City (2014 and 2017-18). He is also known as a long-throw specialist.

Broadcast

The game will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network on Thursday evening from 7:30 PM IST. It will also be streamed live on Hotstar and Jio TV.