It’s a clash of the champions as Mohun Bagan Super Giant takes on Mumbai City in the Indian Super League Shield Decider at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on 15th April from 7:30 PM IST. A lip-smacking title decider awaits us between the two most consistent teams in the league.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant are in the second spot on the table, with 45 points from 21 games. Nothing less but a win will secure them the silverware they so desperately desire.
Having scored 45 goals, the most in the league this season, they certainly can be confident of having a good game. The Mariners have conceded 25 goals, the third least in the league which further speaks volumes about how good they have been at the back as well.
Mumbai City currently occupies the numero uno spot on the table, with 47 points from 21 games. A draw will ensure that the Islanders retain the Shield, and that would certainly be a remarkable achievement considering the plethora of injuries and player departures that have plagued them this season.
Having conceded 17 goals, the least in the league and scored 41 goals, the second most in the ongoing ISL season, head coach Petr Kratky has shown just how good he is in charge of a team that also saw its previous manager depart mid-season.
Current Form
Apart from the loss to Chennaiyin in their last home game, the Mariners have been unbeaten at home. They also rank first in goals per game (2.1) but one major concern for head coach Antonio Lopez Habas is the fact that they have conceded 8 penalties this season, the most in the league.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant came into this monumental tie on the back of a 0-4 win away to Bengaluru. They needed a win at the Kanteerava to keep the pressure on Mumbai City and thanks to goals from Hector Yuste, Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa, and Armando Sadiku, the Mariners sealed the win.
Mumbai City outclassed Odisha 2-1 in their last fixture, putting a dent in the Juggernauts’ hopes of finishing ahead of Goa in the table in the second spot. Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Lallianzuala Chhangte were on the money that night.
The Islanders have the second-best form in the league away from home and also occupy the same spot when it comes to goals per game (1.9). Interestingly, they have also been awarded the most penalties in the league this year (7) which is something the Mariners need to be wary of as well.
Head to Head Record
The two sides have faced each other just 1 time so far, as Mumbai City emerged with a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture.
The highly controversial fixture was decided by a 73rd-minute strike from Bipin Singh, with Greg Stewart also getting on the scoresheet for the Blues while Jason Cummings found the back of the net for the Green and Maroon brigade.
While only three goals were scored, the game saw a mind-boggling 7 red cards as Akash Mishra, Greg Stewart, Vikram Partap Singh, Rahul Bheke, Asish Rai, Liston Colaco, and Hector Yuste were all dismissed as the red mist came down at the Mumbai Football Arena.
Team News
Vikram will be a big miss for the Islanders in the decider
The Mariners can boast a clean health bill for the upcoming fixture and all the players would play with a free mind as no cards will be carried over to the playoffs to ensure none of the key players miss the playoff fixtures.
For Mumbai City, the mercurial Vikram Partap Singh will have to sit this one out as he picked up his fourth yellow card of the season against Odisha.
Predicted Starting XIs
Mohun Bagan Super Giant (3-4-3): Vishal Kaith; Anwar Ali, Héctor Yuste, Subhasish Bose; Asish Rai, Deepak Tangri, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Manvir Singh; Dimitrios Petratos, Joni Kauko, Jason Cummings.
Mumbai City( 4-1-4-1): Phurba Lachenpa; Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Singh, Tiri, Akash Mishra; Yoell van Nieff; Lallianzuala Chhangte, Apuia Ralte, Alberto Noguera, Bipin Singh; Jorge Pereyra Diaz
Prediction
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will certainly have the home advantage as over 60,000 supporters are likely to turn up to cheer for the Mariners but the Islanders are the favorites to lift the 2023-24 ISL League Winners’ Shield.
If Goa win against Chennaiyin on Sunday, there would be extra pressure on the Mariners to at least get one point from the Monday fixture to seal direct qualification to the semi-final.
