On the final matchday on Sunday, Kerala Blasters and NorthEast United will clash for the final spot in the playoffs. On Saturday, a battle for supremacy is at stake in Mumbai.
Mumbai City FC, who have already qualified for their first semi-final in three seasons, have methodically gone about building their side. Having closely studied where it went wrong for the side over the last two seasons, Alexandre Guimares has built from the back. In Lucian Goian, they have a player with experience and awareness, pulling out all stops to ensure that Mumbai are miserly at the back.
While the exploits of marquee signing Diego Forlan, Indian legend Sunil Chhetri and playmaker Mathais Defederico have terrorised defenders going forward, it is Goian and his defence, accumulating one clean sheet after another, that has set the tempo.
As a result, Mumbai have conceded only eight goals. This is not to say that the Dynamos have been poor at the back. Having conceded just 10, they are second only behind Mumbai. It adds all the more intrigue as to how these teams conceded three goals each, the last time they faced off.
With Dynamos needing nothing less than a win to get to the top spot, it is not Anas Edathodika, but the likes of Marcelinho, Kean Lewis and Florent Malouda that Zambrotta will call upon, come Saturday.
Having already secured qualification to the semis, there is every chance that the teams will play a more conservative game. It will be interesting to see who Delhi fields in attack, and that will be Mumbai’s big concern going into the contest.
Attack-wise, it is the Dynamos midfield who have been the most threatening. Zambrotta also has the luxury of mixing personnel up in the middle, and on the flanks, which has confused many teams.
After struggling to find their footing at their new home, the Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai have thumped Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin FC in successive games. Do not be surprised if this ends with the teams sharing the spoils without a goal being scored. The previous battles between these two teams have been that close in nature, with neither team wanting to lose.
Match Facts:
Venue: Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
Capacity: 20,000
Time: 7 pm IST.
Last Meeting: Delhi Dynamos FC 3-3 Mumbai City FC, October 18, 2016, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
Head-to-head: Matches: 5, Delhi: 1, Mumbai: 2, Draws: 2
Key Battles:
Lucian Goian vs Marcelinho
Goian has the task of keeping the league’s top scorer quiet, and the Romanian has work cut out. The fleet-footed Brazilian is unpredictable, is deadly on the counter-attack, and draws defenders in, freeing up space for his teammates. Despite not having prolific No. 9s that Mumbai have, Marcelinho has more than made up for that vacuum by regularly getting on the scoresheet.
At the back, Mumbai have been no one-man show, and the likes of Aiborlang Khongjee and Sena Ralte, both vastly experienced in the Indian domestic circuit, have played like players reborn and have stuck to their task diligently.
Anas Edathodika vs Diego Forlan
After a sterling start to the season, Anas has shown signs of a little bit of shakiness at the back. What better than a battle against a world class exponent to get his rhythm back. The Kerala defender is ever so crucial to the Dynamos backline.
Like Marcelinho, Forlan too, is unpredictable with his positioning, and his new-found understanding with Chhetri is only going to cause more confusion among defenders. Moreover, the Uruguayan seamlessly shuttles between playing the striker and dropping slightly deep and playing the false No. 9 role.