Mumbai City FC would look to notch their first win of the Indian Super League (ISL) this season and move up the points table when they face high-flying Bengaluru FC in a clash between two heavyweights here on Wednesday.
Bengaluru have made a commanding start, winning all their three outings so far to sit atop the points table, while Mumbai are surprisingly placed at 11th after two away matches, with just one point.
Mumbai have found the back of the net in their previous eight matches at home and are looking to equal their longest such ISL run, having done so in nine meetings between October 2022 and February 2023.
Interestingly, they have also won their previous three matches versus Bengaluru.
Bengaluru have scored one-third of their goals in the competition this year within the opening 15 minutes, the highest such rate for any team so far.
Mumbai City head coach Petr Kratky said his team needs to avoid conceding goals from set-pieces.
“We need to get better in the area where it’s hurting us. And, we have to stop it as soon as possible because, in two games, we conceded five goals and four goals from set-pieces, which is unacceptable for me,” he said.
“We have to keep working and keep going. We need to analyse and identify what’s (going) wrong and have to find why. The ‘why’ is very important.
“If we know why we’re conceding, why we’re losing, or why we’re not getting the points, then we can figure out what to fix. So, this is our and my first goal.”
On the other hand, BFC head coach Gerard Zaragoza expressed his happiness at the impressive start but admitted that they cannot afford to slow down yet.
“Let me enjoy. Three games, three wins, and we are happy. But it’s too early,” he noted.
“Mumbai City FC will be there, and Odisha FC will be there. We are going to Mumbai, and it will be difficult there.”
The two sides have face each other on 16 occasions in the tournament, with Mumbai winning on eight instances, as against seven victories for Bengaluru. One match ended in a draw.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC legend and former India captain Sunil Chhetri has netted nine times versus Mumbai City in the competition. He will be aiming to become the first Indian to score on 10 occasions against a single opponent in the ISL.
