ISL 2024-25: Mumbai City look for 14th straight unbeaten game against FC Goa

Mumbai, Feb 11 (IANS) Former winner Mumbai City FC will host FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Wednesday, aiming for their 14th unbeaten game of the season and an opportunity to move up the standings. 

The Islanders will look forward to continuing their dominance over the Gaurs since they are unbeaten in their previous 13 ISL encounters against them – winning eight times and drawing on five occasions. A triumph here will have them cap off the league double over FC Goa for the fourth time, having done so earlier in 2017-18, 2021-22, and 2022-23.

FC Goa are placed second in the points table with 36 points from 19 matches, winning 10 games and drawing six. However, they faced their first away loss of the season when Jamshedpur FC beat them 3-1 earlier this month. The Gaurs have not been dealt with straightaway losses in the ISL since a brief period which included three matches between October and December 2022. To make matters tough for them, Mumbai City FC have been defensively resolute at home, recording shutouts in their last two home encounters. Their previous longest such stretch was a four-game-long run between October and December 2018.

Contrastingly, FC Goa have netted in all of their 19 ISL games this season, and a strike in this match will see them become the first side to find the back of the net in the first 20 games of any ISL season, beating Mumbai City FC’s record from the 2022-23 season. Both these sides have different objectives coming into this encounter. FC Goa are 10 points behind the top-placed Mohun Bagan Super Giant (46), but their key objective right now is to safeguard their standing in the second spot.

Finishing there will mean that they qualify straight for the semifinals and would not have to play the single-legged eliminator in the playoffs. For that, they would have to fend off competition from the third-placed Jamshedpur FC (34), with both sides having played the same number of games (19).

Mumbai City FC, fifth in the rankings, have 31 points from 19 matches and their nearest challengers NorthEast United FC have accumulated 29 from 20 encounters. The home side will want to avoid any late slip-ups to secure their positioning in the top-6.

Furthermore, this game can have a huge impact on the eventual title race. If FC Goa lose against Mumbai City FC, and Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Kerala Blasters FC away on February 15, the Mariners will become the ISL 2024-25 League Winners in that case.

Mumbai City FC have won back possession 48.4 times per game in ISL 2024-25, just behind Punjab FC at 48.5. This is, however, their lowest recovery rate in the previous four campaigns, after the 45.7 they registered per match in 2020-21. Does this highlight a gradual shift in the Islanders’ playing approach?

Dutchman Yoell van Nieff has been critical for the Islanders in the midfield, recovering possession 80 times in the middle third across 17 encounters this season, which is the most by any player in the ISL 2024-25. In addition to that, he has scored twice and assisted thrice in the current campaign of the competition.

Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky laid out the way he wants his team to approach the match against FC Goa. “We want to keep the ball, be creative, and be dynamic and we need to continue working hard for that,” he said.

On the other hand, FC Goa with 98 on-target shots are just two away from becoming the second team after Mohun Bagan Super Giant to touch the mark of 100+ shots on target this season. Only the Mariners (51.3%) have a better shooting accuracy than FC Goa (46.2%)

Borja Herrera (4 goals, 4 assists) is just one goal contribution away from equaling his best ISL season tally (9 in 2022-23). However, he has yet to register a goal or assist against Mumbai City FC. The Spaniard has produced 20 goal-scoring opportunities and also rounded off 42 recoveries.

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez refused to look too far ahead in the league stages at the moment. “The most important thing for us right now is the next game, and not the ones that follow. It doesn’t matter what happened in the past. We need to consider the circumstances around this match,” he said.

The two teams have played 27 matches against each other in the ISL, with Mumbai City FC winning 12 times and FC Goa emerging victorious in seven encounters. Eight games have ended in draws.

--IANS

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