With the international break finally over, Jamshedpur hosts Kerala Blasters in Matchday 20 of the 2023-24 Indian Super League season at the JRD Tata Complex. The second battle of the double-header on Saturday will commence at 7:30 PM IST and will go a long way to determine how the mid-table shapes up in the league.
Current Form
With 20 points from 19 games, Jamshedpur will want to go all out to make a push for the sixth playoff spot which is currently occupied by Punjab who are on 21 points. A win will hand the home side the opportunity to leapfrog Bengaluru and Punjab into sixth as we head into the business end of the season.
Head coach Khalid Jamil will be keen to avoid defensive lapses on the pitch though, as his side currently has a -3 goal difference.
Off the pitch as well, the support staff needs to be far more calculative as a blunder substitution against Mumbai City in their last clash cost them 3 points following action taken by the league as the Red Miners fielded an ineligible overseas player. Thus despite drawing the game 1-1, they were handed a 0-3 loss as well as a 60,000 INR penalty from the AIFF Disciplinary Committee.
Before that clash, they had succumbed to a 0-3 defeat away to Mohun Bagan Super Giant thanks to strikes from Jason Cummings, Dimitri Petratos, and Armando Sadiku.
With 29 points from 18 points, head coach Ivan Vukomanovic knows they cannot afford to keep dropping points despite his squad being ravaged by injuries throughout the season. The Yellow Army have lost 2 games on the bounce, and any further lapses could prove costly for them.
Kerala Blasters come into the tie having lost a thrilling 3-4 clash at home to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Despite Vibin Mohanan and Dimitrios Diamantakos finding the back of the net for the Manjapadda, Armando Sadiku, Deepak Tangri, and Jason Cummings spoiled the party in Kochi for them.
Head to Head Record
The two sides have faced each other 15 times, with Jamshedpur bagging 3 wins and Kerala Blasters registering 5 to their name.
The 2024 Super Cup saw them take on each other earlier this year with Jamshedpur coming off with a 3-2 win. The see-saw battle saw Diamantakos score a brace but goals from Daniel Chima Chukwu and Jeremy Manzorro were enough to see the Red Miners through to the semi-final.
In the league’s reverse fixture, the Blasters eked out a 1-0 home thanks to an Adrian Luna stunner.
Team News
Daniel Chima Chukwu would be a big miss for Jamil and Jamshedpur
For Jamshedpur, striker Chima Chukwu will miss out as he picked up a red card against Mumbai City in the last game which led to the substitution debacle. Defender Provat Lakra is also set to sit this tie out as he picked up a yellow card in the last game making it 4 bookings in the league season. Alen Stevanovic, Seiminlen Doungel, Nikhil Barla, and Jeremy Manzorro are all on 3 yellow cards and need to be wary of suspension during the clash.
For Kerala Blasters, defender Naocha Singh will be available for selection again after missing the last clash on account of picking up 4 yellow cards. Ruivah Hormipam, Mohammed Azhar, Sandeep Singh, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Milos Drincic, and Pritam Kotal are all on 3 yellow cards and need to keep themselves in check to avoid suspension.
Predicted Starting XIs
Jamshedpur (4-2-3-1): TP Rehenesh.; Nikhil Barla, Pratik Chaudhari, PC Laldinpuia, Muhammad Uvais; Elsinho, Jérémy Manzorro; Imran Khan, Rei Tachikawa, Mohammed Sanan K; Javi Siverio.
Kerala Blasters (4-4-2): Karanjit Singh; Sandeep Singh, Pritam Kotal, Miloš Drinčić, Prabir Das; Rahul KP, Vibin Mohanan, Jeakson Singh, Daisuke Sakai; Fedor Černych, Dimitrios Diamantakos.
Prediction
Despite their floundering form of late, Kerala Blasters are always a force to reckon with especially with Diamantakos leading the Golden Boot race with 12 goals from 15 games.
Chima Chukwu’s suspension could be a huge headache for Jamil, but one can expect Imran Khan and Mohammed Sanan to make an impact at any point during the game as they have shown of late. The fans could witness a thrilling encounter with individual brilliance deciding the outcome.