New Delhi: A tactical battle is expected to unfold when Jamshedpur FC host Mumbai City FC in an Indian Super League match in Jamshedpur on Friday.
The home team have conceded and scored twice each in seven matches, with veteran goalkeeper Subrata Pal keeping five clean sheets.
Mumbai have conceded seven, five of them away from home, scoring 11 in the process. They are fifth on the table with 13 points from eight matches, a rung above JFC (nine from seven).
JFC coach Steve Coppell is worried about his team’s inability to score. “I hope (that we can score goals). I am exactly like every supporter who comes to games and am desperate to see the team score goals. It hasn’t happened so far but I am confident that we will score,” Coppell said on Thursday.
“The sooner the better, and it is a big priority for us. But again we are defensively strong. We have to find balance — be more potent going forward without losing defensively. The intent is there and the players are giving everything,” he added.
Mumbai coach Alexandre Guimaraes said he respected the way Jamshedpur were defensively organised.
“The team fights very hard to recover the ball and fill spaces in defence. We have to understand that we have to work the game in a way to find gaps — it is difficult but I am glad that we did that in the last game, when we took profit of certain situations. That is important in these type of games,” he said. Guimaraes is also aware that Jamshedpur will try and shut down their creative force Achille Emana.
