Mumbai City FC welcomes Bengaluru FC for a titanic clash at the Mumbai Football Arena for the first leg of the first semi-final of the ISL playoffs after the Blues were handed a walkover victory against Kerala Blasters in the Eliminator.
MCFC vs BFC Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 7 March 2023
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai
MCFC vs BFC Match Preview
Mumbai City FC
Mumbai City FC have been more than sensational in their run to win the ISL Winner’s Shield this season with extraordinary achievements and records broken. They became the first side to clinch the title twice. Not only do they become the first team to collect the most points (46) but also scored the most goals (54) in ISL history along with keeping the longest winning and unbeaten streak in a single season. The Islanders also got the most wins (14) in the league stage and the fewest losses (2) albeit in the last two games after they sealed the title staying unbeaten. However, the defeats broke the stunning momentum they had throughout the campaign.
One of those losses came against Bengaluru FC, whom they are about to meet again in the semi-final of the playoffs round, who became the first side to break their invincibility this season and that too in Mumbai Football Arena. The stadium has been otherwise a fortress with 21 points collected from 10 matches including six wins. The Islanders will look to use their home advantage for success this time but Des Buckingham has warned playoffs are a different stage altogether with league form mattering less here. Mumbai City FC will be determined to overturn their recent drawbacks in the first leg to take an early step to the final.
Bengaluru FC
There has rarely been such an incident in Indian football where a coach has called his team off the pitch in protest of a referee’s decision, something witnessed in the Kanteerava Stadium last week. Ivan Vukomanovic and his Kerala Blasters player headed straight for the dressing room midway of the extra-time in the first Eliminator game against Bengaluru FC upon learning the decision for a goal will not be reversed. The game was nicely balanced at 0-0 after normal time with both sides trying to break the deadlock. The Blues eventually did with a quick free-kick by captain Sunil Chhetri which official Crystal John allowed to stand in accordance with the law.
Blasters were preparing the wall at the time of taking it with goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Gill not back on his line. The Tuskers did a walkout in fury and the game was forfeited once the clock ran out. Bengaluru FC went through the semi-final in a strange fashion but maintained their winning streak from the last eight games. The run that helped them qualify for the playoffs in the first place. With inquiry for the controversial match about to happen, Simon Grayson’s side prepare themselves for a huge last-four clash with Mumbai City FC. The Islanders will have something at stake this time so it will be quite a test facing the phenomenal attack of the home side.
MCFC vs BFC Recent Form
MCFC: LLWWW
BFC: WWWWW
MCFC vs BFC Predicted Lineups
MCFC: Phurba Lachenpa; Sanjeev Stalin, Rostyn Griffiths, Mehtab Singh, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy; Apuia, Ahmed Jahouh, Greg Stewart; Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Bipin Singh
BFC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu; Alan Costa, Sandesh Jhingan, Bruno Edgar; Prabir Das, Suresh Wangjam, Javi Hernandez, Rohit Kumar, Naorem Roshan; Roy Krishna, Sunil Chhetri
MCFC vs BFC Head to head
Mumbai City won - 6
Draw - 1
Bengaluru FC won - 6
MCFC vs BFC Dream11 Team Prediction
Team 1
GK: Gurpreet (8.5)
DEF: A Costa (8.5), Jhingan (8), M Singh (8)
MID: Chhangte (9), Javi (9), Bipin (9)
FW: Stewart (9), Diaz (8.5), Krishna (9)
Vice-captain: Javi Hernandez
Captain: Lallianzuala Chhangte
Team 2
GK: Gurpreet (8.5)
DEF: A Costa (8.5), Jhingan (8), M Singh (8)
MID: Chhangte (9), Javi (9), Bipin (9)
FW: Stewart (9), Chhetri (8.5), Krishna (9)
Vice-captain: Javi Hernandez or Lallianzuala Chhangte
Captain: Lallianzuala Chhangte or Greg Stewart
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