ISL 2024-25: MBSG eye top spot, face Jamshedpur at Salt Lake Stadium

Kolkata, Nov 22 (IANS) The City of Joy is set to roar as Mohun Bagan Super Giant lock horns with Jamshedpur FC at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium, with the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash kicking off on Saturday.

The Mariners have embarked on their title defence in style as they are placed behind only Bengaluru FC in the points table currently. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have notched four wins and two draws to accumulate 14 points in seven encounters.

Contrastingly, Jamshedpur FC commenced their campaign in a captivating manner, but recent setbacks and some heavy defeats have restricted them to 12 points in seven matches, hovering at the seventh spot in the standings. As they embark on a pursuit to regain their mojo, Mohun Bagan Super Giant will be wary of any slip-ups, especially at their home turf.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant have made 35.9 entries inside the penalty box per game in ISL 2024-25, which is the second-highest average behind Chennaiyin FC who have done so 37.5 times every 90 minutes. Their dynamic frontline has consistently searched for breakthroughs inside the opposition’s defence, with the team scoring 13 goals thus far in the competition.

Furthermore, the Mariners boast of a commendable track record against Jamshedpur FC off late. They have been unbeaten in their previous four games on the bounce in front of the Red Miners – winning thrice and drawing once. This is increasingly impressive since the Mohun Bagan Super Giant had won once and lost thrice in their four preceding fixtures before this sequence began.

Jamshedpur FC have won once in their last five away encounters – highlighting their concerns on the road. They have now lost two straight fixtures at the home of the opposition, and the last time the Red Miners went on a longer such losing streak was a stretch of four games between October and December 2023. They will want to snap this run and hope to recover their rhythm that they displayed ever so brilliantly in the initial matches of the season.

Jamshedpur FC have recorded an average possession of 39.2% in their seven matches, which is the lowest amongst all teams. However, it also puts the focus on their renewed strategy of maximising the potential of their free-flowing frontline to sit deep and attack the opposition on the counter. Whether that strategy works out against the Mariners, who have averaged a possession rate of 52.7%, is something that remains to be seen.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina said that the team is well aware of the demands from them two months into the season and he expects them to get straight into the groove from the first game after the international break onwards.

“At this moment, the team is ready. We have nothing special to work on. The players know what we need to know – how we need to defend, attack, of course we can have some changes in the lineup, but I am confident in the players who can come in and play, and they know what they have to do,” Molina said.

Jamshedpur FC assistant coach Steven Dias acknowledged that ups and downs are part of any team’s run, but he backed his players to recover from their recent losses.

“Last two matches weren’t as good for us. I think as a coach, every team goes through this phase, so it’s important that we bounce back fast, so we got a break before this match – everyone’s in a good mood, we are working hard, and hopefully can get a positive result in tomorrow’s game,” Dias said.

–IANS

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