Mumbai, January 11: Mumbai City FC will play Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on January 12, Sunday, at the Mumbai Football Arena at 7:30 pm IST.
The Islanders will aim to bounce back after a disappointing home loss, while the Red Miners will look to complete a league double over Mumbai City FC for the second time in ISL history (also in 2018-19), having won the reverse fixture 3-2 on September 21, 2024. A win for Jamshedpur FC in this match would mark just their second instance of back-to-back victories against Mumbai City FC, the first being a stretch of three wins between February 2018 and 2019.
Mumbai City FC have been inconsistent at home, losing two of their last five matches at the Mumbai Football Arena, including a 0-3 defeat to NorthEast United FC on December 30, 2024. The last time they suffered consecutive home losses was in early 2023. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC’s away form has been dismal, with four consecutive defeats in away games and failing to score in three of those. The Red Miners will look to avoid matching their longest losing streak on the road, which was five games between November 2022 and January 2023.
The Islanders are sixth in the table, with 23 points from 14 games, courtesy of six victories and five draws. Jamshedpur FC are positioned fourth, winning 24 points from 13 matches, taking all three points in four out their previous five clashes. The Red Miners are just three points short of the second-placed Bengaluru FC (27), and have a game in hand (13) compared to the Blues (14) too. Despite the brief slump they had hit earlier, a strong start and a stronger recovery has placed them in a formidable spot in the standings, something they should aim at maximising at the home of the Islanders.
Petr Kratky, who has a win % of 56.25% in ISL, only behind Des Buckingham’s tally of 57.45% and Sergio Lobera’s tally of 56.52% (minimum 2 games managed) amongst all Mumbai City FC head coaches so far, will want to stop Jamshedpur FC in their tracks and regain their lost mojo at home.
Mumbai City FC seek to regain defensive stability
* Defensive Woes: Mumbai City FC have conceded multiple goals in their last two games after keeping clean sheets in the four prior matches. The last time they allowed 2+ goals in more consecutive games was in 2022 (three games). The team will want to rework their organisation at the back against a Jamshedpur FC unit that has netted eight times in their last five games.
* Shooting Efficiency: Despite a low shot conversion rate of 8.4%, the Islanders boast a shooting accuracy of 42.4%, the fourth-best in the league this season. They will need to capitalise on their chances to break down Jamshedpur FC’s defence, which has conceded only twice in their three previous encounters.
Jamshedpur FC’s unique possession tactic
* Low Possession Rate: Jamshedpur FC have maintained the lowest possession in the league this season (41.1%), significantly lower than Mumbai City FC’s 55.4%. The Red Miners have exceeded 50% possession in just two of their 13 games. They tend to absorb pressure from the opponents, before hitting them on the counter-attack, with the help of quick personnel on the flanks and efficient converters upfront.
* Key Contributions: Muhammed Uvais has been a standout performer for Jamshedpur FC, averaging 9.7 final third entries per game, the second-highest among Indian outfielders this season. Uvais has also been industrious defensively, making 11 interceptions, winning 18 tackles, rounding off 39 clearances and 52 recoveries, along with 26 passes per game at 71% accuracy.
Head-to-Head
The two teams have played each other 15 times in the competition, with Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC winning seven and five games respectively. Three matches have resulted in draws.
Coaches Corner
“We need to play good football”
Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky underlined the need to get all three points from this match.
“Regardless of who we play, every game is important for me. We need to win and that’s our No. 1 priority. We need to play good football, as it gives us more chances to succeed,” he said.
“We must take full responsibility”
Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil stressed on the need of acquiring an encouraging outcome in tomorrow’s match.
“It’s an away game. So, it’s very important. We must take full responsibility and work hard to get a positive result,” he said.
Key Players & Milestones
* Mumbai City FC’s Lallianzuala Chhangte has made five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) against Jamshedpur FC in the ISL. Chhangte has eight total goal contributions against the Red Miners in competition history, more than against any side except FC Goa (12).
* Mumbai City FC’s Mehtab Singh recorded 11 clearances in the previous match. Only his defensive partner Tiri has made more clearances (65) among the Islanders than Mehtab (59) in the current campaign.
* Jamshedpur FC’s Stephen Eze has made 28 touches in the opposition box this season, the most by any defender, and holds the record for the most such touches in a single ISL season (56 in 2020-21). He has found the back of the net once, in addition to winning 45 aerial duels and making 75 clearances in ISL 2024-25.
ISL Fantasy
Mehtab Singh (5.6cr)
The Mumbai City FC player has bagged the maximum ISL fantasy points (96) in his team this season
Javi Hernandez (9.4cr)
The Jamshedpur FC star has earned the most ISL fantasy points (60) in his team this season
The Indian Super League will be streamed live on JioCinema (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam) and telecast live on Sports 18 – 3 (English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam), Asianet Plus (Malayalam). Additionally, select ISL matches will be telecast live on Sports 18 – 1, Sports 18 – 2, Sports 18 – Khel, and Star Sports 3.
