Ridden by two consecutive defeats, Kerala Blasters are wandering for options to get back to winning ways against an unbeaten Mumbai City FC team in their fourth game of the 2022/23 ISL season.
Ivan Vukomanovic’s side could not hold onto their lead in the first half to eventually lose 2-1 to Odisha FC while Mumbai City FC was also denied victory by Jamshedpur FC in the 1-1 draw.
KBFC vs MCFC Match Details
Date: Friday, 28 October 2022
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kochi
KBFC vs MCFC Match Preview
Taking a lead in the game for the third consecutive time this season, Kerala Blasters wished they will take something positive from the Kalinga Stadium facing Odisha FC to replace their humiliating defeat in front of their home fans in the last match. But the lightning struck twice as Odisha FC managed to pull another second-half comeback this season leaving the away side with only one win from three games so far and ninth on the chart. Coach Ivan Vukomanovic said the team need to have a winning mentality to replicate an excellent last season ending as finalists. So far, Kerala Blasters have looked anything but that with the lack of solidity at the back a problematic factor. The center-back pair of Marko Leskovic and Hormipam hardly looked convincing this season having performed their role elegantly in the run-up to the ISL final last term. They were probably the best in the league yet this time has conceded eight goals already. Both switched off for Pedro Martin’s late winner for Odisha FC in the 2-1 defeat. Plus, the lack of intensity was also a factor even in the opening-day win over East Bengal and a concerning one provided that the team’s first away trip of the season was on Sunday. The Tuskers will be back in their home patch for the next encounter with a dominant Mumbai City arriving in Kochi. Ivan Vukomanovic will wish to remind the Islanders of the results last season doing the double against them but the Serbian has played down the hype by stating this encounter is a completely different one. Those wins last season actually ended an eight-game winless streak in this meeting for Kerala Blasters and they haven’t won this encounter in Kochi since 2016. Last season’s finalists could only hope they don’t spill their lead in this game and get mauled again as happened in the 5-2 defeat to ATK Mohun Bagan. Better control of proceedings is needed against opposition like Mumbai City FC also wishing to get back to winning ways.
Mumbai City FC sealed a 1-1 draw against Jamshedpur FC last week in a game they wanted more than sharing the spoils. Keeping a lion’s share of possession and producing more shots on target, the Islanders failed to repeat their 2-0 win over Odisha FC in successive home games. Lallianzuala Chhangte opened the scoring inside eight minutes for his first goal of this ISL season, being a constant threat throughout, but the lead only stayed for three minutes as Daniel Chima equalized with a brilliant header from a long throw-in touched on by fellow striker Harrison Sawyer. Greg Stewart got the assist for Chhangte’s opener taking his goal contribution tally to four in three matches already having made 21 last season for the ex-club he was facing on the day. He tested former teammate TP Rehenesh in goal a couple of times and Bipin struck the crossbar as Mumbai City ran out of options to find a winner in the game. In all, the sky blue shirts were able to maintain their unbeaten start to the season making their coach Des Buckingham particularly happy for points taken away from the Shield winners as well as the holders Hyderabad FC in the three games till now. Buckingham’s team now sit in the fourth spot with five points gathered and are aiming to close down the month with a victory side by side taking revenge over Kerala Blasters in the next game. Their opposition are struggling with a poor run of form and needs to win the game for a different mood in the locker room while the Islanders staying unbeaten against the trophy winners in the league should give them confidence against last season’s finalists. Mumbai City have also won the last two visits to Kochi and have lost once in six meetings here. Keeping aside the defeats last season, the Islanders have a largely positive record in this fixture which should work to their advantage in this encounter as they continue their pursuit for the top of the table.
Recent Form
KBFC: LLW
MCFC: DWD
KBFC vs MCFC Team News
Kerala Blasters have no injury issues to report with Ivan Vukomanovic having full squad available to him with midfielder Ayush Adhikari and forward Apostolos Giannou returning to training. The Serbian will be reluctant to make a whole lot of changes to the side despite the defeats but it won’t be a surprise either if the personnel are replaced in the back four that conceded seven goals over two games.
Mumbai City’s coach Des Buckingham confirmed that former Kerala Blasters striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz is fit and ready to go with the rest of the traveling squad to Kochi although his exclusion from the starting eleven from the last two games was more of keeping the squad intact from the 2-1 win against Odisha FC in the game against Jamshedpur FC. Diaz also scored in this fixture from the spot against his present side for the Yellow Army. No changes are for the Islanders in the third game running.
KBFC vs MCFC Predicted Lineups
KBFC: Prabhsukhan Gill, Harmanjot Khabra, Ruivah Hormipam, Marko Leskovic, Jessel Carneiro, Sahal Samad, Lalthathanga Khawlhring, Jeakson Singh, Adrian Luna, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi, Dimitrios Diamantakos
MCFC: Phurba Lachenpa, Rahul Bheke, Rostyn Griffiths, Mehtab Singh, Sanjeev Stalin, Alberto Noguera, Ahmed Jahouh, Lalengmawia Ralte, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Greg Stewart, Bipin Singh
KBFC vs MCFC Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Gill (8.5)
DEF: Khabra (9), Bheke (8), Griffiths (8.5), Carneiro (7.5)
MID: Bipin (8.5), Kaliuzhnyi (5.5), Noguera (8.5), Jahouh (9), Luna (9)
FW: Stewart (9)
Vice-captain: Nicolas Luna
Captain: Greg Stewart
Stay tuned to Fantasy Football for upcoming matches.
