Following the 0-0 draw against Hyderabad FC, the Islanders returned to winning ways but were made to work hard by a rejuvenated SC East Bengal. Mourtada Fall rose high to head Mumbai City into the lead midway through the first half and the Islanders could have grabbed a second before the break, but the hosts surmounted attack after attack in the second half. The Islanders sustained a tremendous amount of pressure but the defending came good, holding on to the lead and to the three points.
Csaba Laszlo’s Chennaiyin FC are carrying with a record that does not really match the Machans’ recent run of gritty performances. With one win in seven, Chennaiyin find themselves knocking on the doors of the playoff spots and come off the back of a 1-0 loss against ATK Mohun Bagan. Chennaiyin proved to be a thorn in the side of the Islanders the last time the two sides met with Sergio Lobera’s boys having to come from a goal down to win 2-1.
A chance to extend their lead to eight points awaits the Islanders tomorrow and to stamp their authority on the league with the business end fast approaching.
Team News:
Mandar Rao Dessai will miss out on the action after collecting his fourth yellow of the campaign against SCEB.
Anirudh Thapa remains to be an injury doubt for the encounter.
Who Said What:
Sergio Lobera: You could watch Chennaiyin’s last game and you can tell that they are a competitive team and aren’t only about some individual players. They played well and could have won the game.
Jackichand Singh: There’s no pressure really, because I have played under the coach for the last two seasons. He expects to repeat in the games what is done during the training sessions. I’ll do my best and deliver what the coach expects from me.
Where to watch it
The game will kick off at 7.30pm IST and will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, Disney+ Hotstar and Jio TV for all viewers in India. For our global fans, you can find your local broadcaster here or follow all the action LIVE on our official Twitter account - @MumbaiCityFC.
League Watch
Results:
23 Jan: Kerala Blasters 1-1 FC Goa (Rahul 57’; Ortiz 25’)
24 Jan: Jamshedpur FC 0-0 Hyderabad FC
24 Jan: Bengaluru FC 1-1 Odisha FC (Paartalu 82’; Mauricio 8’)
Fixtures coming up:
25 Jan: Chennaiyin FC vs Mumbai City (GMC Bambolim; 7.30pm)
26 Jan: NorthEast United vs ATK Mohun Bagan (Fatorda, 7.30pm)
