Jamshedpur vs ATK Mohun Bagan: Preview and Prediction
Matchday 20 of the 2022-23 Indian Super League season will commence with a match between Jamshedpur and ATK Mohun Bagan. The match will be played in Jamshedpur’s JRD Tata Sports Complex on Thursday.
The winners of the ISL League Winners’ Shield from last season, Jamshedpur had a terrible fall from grace this time around. They have won only 3 out of their 17 matches, and with only 12 points, the Red Miners are placed tenth in the standings.
On the other hand, ATK Mohun Bagan has blown hot and cold all throughout the season. The Mariners have racked up 8 wins and 27 points from 16 matches, which keeps them in fifth place in the points table ahead of this fixture.
Current Form
Despite what their current position suggests, Jamshedpur did not really have a poor start as they lost only one of their first three matches while winning a game against NorthEast United and holding the star-studded Mumbai City to a 1-1 draw.
However, that run was followed by a series of seven consecutive defeats – against Goa, Hyderabad, Chennaiyin, East Bengal, Kerala Blasters, ATK Mohun Bagan, and Bengaluru. The next few weeks saw them losing only one of their next four matches, but the good work was undone when they suffered back-to-back defeats against Bengaluru and Mumbai City.
That being said, Aidy Boothroyd’s men will come into this match on the back of a 2-0 win over NorthEast United.
ATK Mohun Bagan had a good start to their campaign as they lost only one of their first five matches while winning three games against Kerala Blasters, ATK Mohun Bagan, and NorthEast United. After a 0-3 drubbing against Goa, Juan Ferrando’s team turned things around quickly once again with a streak of four unbeaten games.
However, the turn of December brought misfortune for them as they won only one of their next four matches, while also suffering defeats against NorthEast United. Though they bounced back with a 2-0 win over Odisha, the Mariners’ train was once again stopped in its tracks when Bengaluru handed them a 2-1 defeat in the last match.
Head to Head Record
The head-to-head records are slightly inclined in favour of Jamshedpur. The Red Miners have won three of the previous five league meetings against ATK Mohun Bagan, whereas the Mariners have had the last laugh on two occasions.
The first meeting of the season, which took place back in December, saw ATK Mohun Bagan snatching a 1-0 win. Boothroyd’s defense was successful in keeping the Mariners quiet for most of the game, but a 91st-minute penalty by Hugo Boumous handed Ferrando’s team the win.
Team News
Given that his men ended their losing streak with a win against NorthEast United in the last outing, Boothroyd could be tempted to field an unchanged starting XI for this game. However, it will not be surprising to see one change.
While Ritwik Das looked like a livewire down the left flank and also scored a goal, on the opposite flank, Boris Singh Thangjam struggled to have a big influence. The English tactician could replace him with the experienced Seimenlen Doungel.
Similarly, Ferrando is also expected to make changes to his starting XI after a disappointing loss against Bengaluru, but these changes are likely to bring him relief. Two of the Mariners’ most reliable players, Boumous and Ashique Kuruniyan will be available for selection after serving their respective suspensions.
Boumous is expected to replace Uruguayan midfielder Federico Gallego, who arrived with a great reputation but has not lived up to it. On the other hand, Kuruniyan could replace Manvir Singh, with Liston Colaco being switched to the right flank.
Predicted XIs
Jamshedpur (4-4-1-1): Rehenesh TP; Laldinliana Renthlei, Pratik Chaudhari, Eli Sabia, Ricky Lallawmawma; Seimenlen Doungel, Pronay Halder, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Ritwik Das; Rafael Crivellaro; Daniel Chima Chukwu.
ATK Mohun Bagan (4-2-3-1): Vishal Kaith; Asish Rai, Pritam Kotal, Brendan Hamill, Subhasish Bose; Carl McHugh, Glan Martins; Liston Colaco, Hugo Boumous, Ashique Kuruniyan; Dimitri Petratos.
Prediction
Jamshedpur might be ahead on head-to-head records, and they also won their last fixture, but ATK Mohun Bagan has a much better squad and is a prime contender to make it to the next stage. Hence, we have predicted the Mariners to win this match.