Indian Super League is heating up and the gap between teams having eyes for the top position is very narrow. Mohun Bagan will have their chances to capitalize the opportunity given by Mumbai and Goa to aim for a top spot. They will face a rejuvenated Jamshedpur FC who are in a different forms after Khalid Jamil took charge of the helm. They haven’t yet loss a single match after the ISL resumes in January and seemed to be more impressive in away soil as they defeated Mumbai in Mumbai and Punjab in Delhi. They have registered their biggest victory against Punjab with a 4-0 margin. Mohun Bagan on the other hand looking relaxed and gearing up for the clash. Their Manager Antonio Lopez Habas has a specific plan for a specific match and also unbeaten in as many matches since the break. Habas is one man who never deviated from his own philosophy under any circumstances and the clash between two master tactician will be a fascinating one.
After a draw against Odisha at Bhubaneswar Mohun Bagan resumes their practice on Monday and since then they have been working on various situational move and concentrate more on set pieces. It was unfortunate that, they couldn’t manage a victory in Odisha as they were better team and had better chances than their opponent. If they can repeat the form they are currently in, then they will definitely going to earn the full three points tomorrow. Liston Colaco, a goalscorer against North East match surprisingly left out to the bench against Odisha but tomorrow he will definitely return to the left wing. The main advantage of Habas is that he always has a different plan for a different opponent which is very rare among all other teams in ISL this year. Mohun Bagan will definitely form a 4 back system with Kauko and Tangri in the midfield. After a average performance from Sadiku against Odisha, Cummings will be starting with Petratos in a 4-4-2 System. The return of Brendan Hamill from the injury is still uncertain and with only 7 matches left in this season, the team need to think about other available options.
Jamshedpur with back to back win against Punjab FC and East Bengal are high in confidence and ready to upset the home team. Their Manager Khalid Jamil who has few things to prove and currently aiming for a ISL playoff spot. Their French midfielder JÉRÉMY MANZORRO is in great form. The goals which he scored from direct freekicks could be the best goal of this season. Their star Japanese midfielder Tachikawa has also found his goalscoring form. This Jamshedpur team looked different than what we saw in November at JRD complex, the match eventually won by Mohun Bagan. Khalid Jamil opted to field all Indian back line with Elsinho as defensive blocker in the midfield. This move currently working wonders for them because it helping their full backs to overlap through the both wings and with Elsinho being a defender himself can adjust to the situation and play as a centre back during that period. Their winger Sanan and Imran are in a good form and will be a great headache for Habas & Co. Inclusion of Siverio Toro was also a good signing from East Bengal as he could be a good option in the upfront alongwith Chima Chukwu who already scored 6 goals including a hattrick this season.
The match will start 7:30 PM tomorrow and Mariners expected to fill the gallery in numbers. With both team aiming for their respective target will not spare a single inch to each-other. Mohun Bagan need to exploit the gap in Jamshedpur defense as they are quite vulnerable in defensive transition and set pieces on the other hand the presence of hugely build striker like Chima will be a headache for Yuste led defense line. The X factor will definitely be JÉRÉMY and his fascinating freekicks. Mohun Bagan shouldn’t give them any cheap fouls around the box. Anyway, let’s see whether Mohun Bagan can take the opportunity to top the table or not.
Line-up Prediction:
Vishal(GK), Subhasish, Yuste, Anwar, Kauko, Thapa, Tangri, Liston, Manvir, Cummings, Dimitri
Recent Encounters:
Jamshedpur FC 2 – 3 Mohun Bagan (Nov 1, 2023, Indian Super League)
Kick off Time: 7:30PM(IST)
Live telecast/streaming: JioCinema, Sports18 3, DD Bangla, OneFootball(International)
Venue: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata.
