Hyderabad and Jamshedpur will clash in what could be called a ‘clash of the titans’ in ‘Match 63’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Athletic Stadium. With the Nizams having already qualified for the semi-finals and the Red Miners also looking very likely to make it, this game will predominantly be about the race for the league winners’ shield.
Hyderabad is currently occupying the pole position in the standings, having played a flamboyant and attractive brand of football throughout the season. They have 35 points in their account from 18 matches.
On the other hand, Jamshedpur has also hardly done anything wrong this season. They are placed just behind the Nizams with a deficit of one point, but more importantly, they have played only 17 matches so far.
Current Form
This will be an enthralling game from the neutral perspective as both sides have been brilliant in their recent run of fixtures. In fact, Hyderabad and Jamshedpur are the only two teams to have won all of their last three matches.
Hyderabad is coming into this match on the back of a 2-1 victory against Kerala Blasters. Before taking on the Tuskers, Manolo Marquez’s men won 3-2 against Goa and 2-1 against Bengaluru.
The Red Miners had to fight till the very end in their previous outing against NorthEast United, but a late Jordan Murray strike helped them register a 3-2 triumph, which also happened to be their fourth consecutive victory.
Before taking on the Highlanders, Owen Coyle’s men handed Chennaiyin a 4-1 humiliation, whilst the preceding game saw them edging past defending champions Mumbai City by a 3-2 margin.
Head to Head Record
Jamshedpur holds the upper hand in head-to-head records, but only by the narrowest of margins. They have won one of the five meetings against Hyderabad, while interestingly, the other four matches have ended in stalemates.
One such stalemate was played out earlier this season where both teams settled for a 1-1 draw. Greg Stewart’s strike gave the Red Miners a lead in the first half, but Bartholomew Ogbeche equalized for the Nizams in the second half.
Team News
Jordan Murray could replace suspended Greg Stewart in the Jamshedpur starting XI
Marquez is likely to make a couple of changes to the team that won 2-1 against Kerala Blasters. Central defender Juanan will be unavailable as he needs to serve a one-game suspension after picking up four yellow cards.
He could make way for Asish Rai, which will then free up an overseas slot for the Spanish tactician. To utilize it, Marquez could hand new signing Khassa Camara a start at Sauvik Chakrabarti’s place.
Coyle would have ideally preferred to field the same starting XI that won 3-2 against NorthEast United, but he might be forced to make a few changes, Stewart will be unavailable after accumulating four yellow cards, while Peter Hartley could also not feature as he picked up an injury in the last match.
Murray, who scored the winner in the last game, could replace the former Rangers man in attack, whilst Narender Gehlot might slot in at the heart of the defense if Hartley does not recover in time. In such a scenario, the former Burnley manager will be able to play an extra overseas midfielder in Alex Lima, dropping Pronay Halder to the bench.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Hyderabad (4-2-3-1): Laxmikant Kattimani; Asish Rai, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Chinglensana Singh, Akash Mishra; Khassa Camara, Joao Victor; Yasir Mohammad, Joel Chianese, Rohit Danu; Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Jamshedpur (4-3-2-1): TP Rehenesh; Laldinliana Renthlei, Eli Sabia, Narender Gehlot, Ricky Lallawmawma; Alex Lima, Mobashir Rahman; Seimenlen Doungel, Jordan Murray, Ritwik Das; Daniel Chima Chukwu.
Prediction
Though both sides have been equally outstanding in the recent weeks, the unavailability of Stewart and possibly Hartley could be costly for Jamshedpur. Hence, we have predicted a 2-1 scoreline in the Nizams’ favor.
