Seeking to bridge the gap with the top six, visiting Chennaiyin FC will have their task cut out when they take on fancied hosts Mumbai City FC in their Indian Super League match here on Saturday.
The Islanders have an impressive record against Chennaiyin FC, being unbeaten in their last nine ISL meetings.
Mumbai have won and drawn twice in their last five matches, and are currently occupying the seventh spot with 17 points from 11 games.
Chennaiyin FC are ninth in the table, having garnered 15 points from 12 matches but their previous five outings have seen them succumb to a loss thrice.
Neither of them are too far off the sixth-placed Jamshedpur FC, who have 18 points from 10 matches.
The Petr Kratky-coached team have struggled offensively, scoring the fourth-least goals in the season (14) so far, whereas the Marina Machans better them in this metric with 17 strikes.
Mumbai City have fared better at the back, keeping the third-most clean sheets (4) in the league, conceding only 13 goals, as opposed to the 18 of the Chennaiyin FC.
Mumbai City FC have not conceded in their last three ISL games. If they manage another clean sheet, it will mark their longest streak since 2018. Interestingly, Chennaiyin have netted merely once in their previous three games in the competition.
Mumbai City have hit the woodwork seven times this season, the second-highest tally behind Odisha FC (9 times). Last season, they set a single-season high of 10.
While it does show that they are constantly on the lookout for creating chances in the final third, the frontline will have to come together to convert these opportunities with greater consistency.
Chennaiyin FC have lost their last two away games, failing to score in both. The last time the Marina Machans went on a longer losing run away from home was a stretch of four games between December 2023 and February 2024, which included a 0-3 loss to Mumbai City FC (December 28, 2023).
To get their season back on track, a positive result here would be important.
Chennaiyin FC have conceded just four goals in the first half of their ISL games this season, the lowest in the league. However, they conceded 14 goals in the second half, the joint most with Kerala Blasters FC.
The Marina Machans will have to ensure that they do not continue to lose their shape at the back once the game enters its second essay.
Jamshedpur FC face East Bengal FC
In Kolkata, Jamshedpur FC will eye their first-ever league double over East Bengal FC when they face off at the Salt Lake Stadium.
The Men of Steel secured a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture on October 5 and another clean sheet this weekend would mark the first time they achieve back-to-back shutouts against the Red & Gold Brigade in the competition.
Jamshedpur FC snapped their three-game losing streak and will come into this match on the back of consecutive victories in their last couple of outings. They have, however, given away the second-most goals in the ISL 2024-25 (21), only behind the 10th-placed Kerala Blasters FC.
A strong start and recent recovery mean that they find themselves within the playoffs spots (6th) right now, but the visitors will have to be at the top of their game since the tables can turn around immediately given the slim margins separating teams in the table.
