Exciting player battles to look forward to when Mumbai City FC face Jamshedpur FC at the Furnace tonight. Both the teams have been on a four-match unbeaten spree in the ongoing season of the Indian Super League (ISL). The JRD Tata Sports Complex is in for a treat when the two teams take the field and fight it out for the three points.
The Furnace remains unbreached, after playing host to five ISL fixtures, so far. The home side have scored 11 goals in eight fixtures that they have played. Seven of these eleven goals have been scored on home soil.
The Islanders are yet to relish consecutive victories in the ongoing campaign, and Jamshedpur FC will do everything in their capacity to keep that statistic unchanged. The visitors have conceded 15 goals in just eight matches played - the second-highest number of goals this season. Antonio Iriondo will look to capitalise on this statistic and extend the number in Jamshedpur tonight.
Jorge Costa’s side managed a spot in the Semi-Finals in the 2018-19 edition of the ISL, but FC Goa crushed their dream and beat the Islanders to it. Costa, who has been one of the more successful head coaches in the history of the Mumbai-based ISL outfit, will be eyeing three points at the Furnace tonight and will look to end the hosts’ winning form at home.
Here are a few player battles for the purists of the beautiful game to relish.
Subrata Paul vs Amrinder Singh
Safe hands, a strong presence on the field, and experience in abundance - the two men in gloves have played a vital role for their respective sides over the years. Subrata Paul will face his former side, Mumbai City FC, and as his successor, Amrinder Singh will leave no stone unturned to impress tomorrow night. A lot more than three points is at stake in this battle tonight!
Both the veteran custodians have eye-catching statistics in the Indian Super League. No other goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets (26) than Subrata Paul, and neither has any other shot-stopper saved more shots than the Kolkata-born.
While on the other hand, Amrinder Singh occupies the third spot with 17 clean sheets on the list. Amrinder has the second-most saves made, with 194 shots stopped, as compared to Subrata’s 232. A whopping 71% shots saved, Subrata stands superior in comparison to Amrinder on this aspect as well, though it is a cut-throat contest with Singh denying 70% shots that came his way.
Robin Gurung vs Subhasish Bose
Combat on the wings of the defence line, this is a solid one. Both defenders have played a crucial role in keeping the ball away from the 18-yard box for their respective teams. Resilient defenders, who fearlessly flying into tackles, and keep danger at bay.
At present, Robin is the Indian player with the most number of tackles (27) in the Jamshedpur FC squad. The 27-year-old full-back has eight interceptions and 33 clearances to his name and a passing accuracy of 70% in the 2019-20 edition of the Indian Super League, so far. While on the other hand, his adversary, Subhasish Bose, has not only been a defensive asset for his team but has found himself on the scoresheet against Bengaluru FC in the Islanders’ visit to the South, last week. With 53 clearances and 18 tackles this season, Bose will make the home team work hard to cut through Mumbai’s defence.
Farukh Choudhary vs Raynier Fernandes
MCFC’s Raynier has got two assists to his name in the season until now, while Farukh has three. While Raynier is yet to open his goals kitty, his nemesis, Farukh, has found the back of the net once this season. The blistering pace down the flanks on either sides of the park will be something to look forward to for the fans, but the respective defence lines must be wary of the two budding stars.
Which player battles are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments below…
