Jamshedpur vs ATK Mohun Bagan: Preview and Prediction
Fourth-placed ATK Mohun Bagan will clash with fifth-placed Jamshedpur in ‘Match 20’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season at the Athletic Stadium on Monday.
The Mariners had a fantastic start to their 2021-22 ISL campaign winning their first two matches convincingly before they were handed a harsh reality check by Mumbai City in their previous outing. On the other hand, Jamshedpur might have only one win in the bag but they are among the three teams left in this competition yet to taste defeat in the league season.
How have they done so far?
ATK Mohun Bagan started grandly by beating Kerala Blasters 4-2 in their season opener and followed it up with a 3-0 win against arch-rivals East Bengal. However, the Mariners’ joy was once again cut short brutally by their nemesis Mumbai City, who handed them a 5-1 humiliation in their third match of the season.
Jamshedpur might not have been as flamboyant as the Kolkata-based team, but they have done enough to grind out favorable results. Owen Coyle’s team started with a 1-1 draw against East Bengal and then went on to stun Goa by beating them 3-1, before playing out another 1-1 stalemate against Hyderabad.
Head to Head Record
ATK Mohun Bagan and Jamshedpur have crossed paths twice in this competition with both teams having one victory to their name. Jamshedpur emerged victoriously in the first meeting between these two sides, thanks to a brace from their talismanic striker Nerijus Valskis. In the second meeting, however, an 85th-minute Roy Krishna strike handed ATK Mohun Bagan all three points on the night.
Team News
We might see a reunion of the Krishna-Williams strike duo
Antonio Lopez Habas usually prefers not to change his team combination but he will be forced to make at least one tweak for this game, as young central defender Deepak Tangri was shown a red card in the previous game against the Islanders. Prabir Das is expected to replace him and slot in as a right-back with skipper Pritam Kotal shifted to central defense.
After a bright start to his ATK Mohun Bagan career, Hugo Boumous was underwhelming in his last two fixtures and was taken off at the 46th minute against Mumbai City. The French attacker might have to spend more time on the bench in this game as the head coach might reward David Williams with a start.
Owen Coyle will not have to make any forced changes to his starting XI but we can expect a couple of tactical tweaks from the former Blackburn Rovers manager. 20-year-old central defender Narender Gehlot had a tough time dealing with Bartholow Ogbeche in the last game and Coyle might protect the high-rated defender against the likes of world-class strikers in Krishna and Williams. In his place, Peter Hartley could partner Eli Sabia in central defense and Alex Lima might have to make way for a former Mariner in Pronay Halder.
Predicted Starting Lineups
ATK Mohun Bagan (4-4-2): Amrinder Singh; Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Carl McHugh, Subhasish Bose; Manvir Singh, Lenny Rodrigues, Joni Kauko, Liston Colaco; Roy Krishna, David Williams.
Jamshedpur (4-4-2): TP Rehenesh; Laldinliana Renthlei, Eli Sabia, Peter Hartley, Ricky Lallwmawma; Seimenlen Doungel, Jitendra Singh, Pronay Halder, Komal Thatal; Nerijus Valskis, Greg Stewart.
Prediction
Barring the horrendous display in the last game, ATK Mohun Bagan has arguably played the most attractive football so far in this ISL season. They are unstoppable against most teams and Jamshedpur is one of the tougher opponents in the league and might show resilience in abundance. Habas’ men are likely to get a slight edge in this fixture but we are going in with a bold prediction of a 1-1 draw.