ISL: Mumbai City, Odisha FC lock horns as tussle for League Shield intensifies

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 8 (ANI): Mumbai City FC will face Odisha FC at the Mumbai Football Arena (MFA) on Monday in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24.
The two teams are engaged in a competitive tussle for the top spot that can give them a big chance to secure the League Shield title.
The Islanders are placed up top in the standings with the help of 44 points from 20 matches, with 13 wins, five draws and two losses. They are followed by the Mohun Bagan Super Giant (42) and Odisha FC (39), but interestingly, the Petr Kratky-coached side will face these two opponents in their final couple of league matches.
The Juggernauts have won and drawn twice each in their last five league games. Overall, they have 39 points, with 11 wins, six draws and three losses. They have slipped down the points table lately, complicating matters amidst their pursuit of a first-place finish at the end of 22 games, as per an ISL press release.
The Juggernauts roared back into form with a convincing 3-1 victory in their previous match against Punjab FC. Similarly, Mumbai City FC swept aside Hyderabad FC by 3-0 in their last game, ensuring that these two teams come into this match on the back of a promising run of form.
*Key Players to Watch Out
Vikram Partap Singh (Mumbai City FC)
Vikram Partap Singh has scored seven goals and assisted thrice in 19 appearances this season, totalling for 10 goal contributions until now. He has made 69 touches in the box of the opposition, completing 12 successful dribbles, making 14 key passes, and creating 17 goal-scoring opportunities. He has taken 50 per cent of his shots on target, recording 17 passes per game at 74 per cent accuracy. He has made 43 recoveries and won 62 duels, and his goal conversion rate is an impressive 25 per cent currently. The 22-year-old will want to carry this form into the business end of the season.
Isak Vanlalruatfela (Odisha FC)
Isak Vanlalruatfela found the back of the net in their previous match against Punjab FC. He has netted and assisted thrice each in his 20 league appearances this season. Isak has made 26 average passes per game, with an accuracy of 76 per cent. He has made eight interceptions and clearances each, making 86 recoveries, making 10 key passes, creating 13 goal-scoring opportunities, completing 29 successful dribbles, and winning 82 duels in the current campaign. He has won eight aerial duels so far, and has been a dazzling presence in the final third for the Juggernauts.
*Head-to-Head
Played - 19
Mumbai City FC - 10
Odisha FC - 5
Draws - 4
Team Talk
"We have the same approach. We want to be together and fight for the team and the club. It is the mentality that we want to maintain. How do we maintain it? We work hard, we stick together, and we work hard," Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky mentioned before the match.
"It is a special situation for me, because I won everything here in only one year. I did not have the chance to meet my supporters, so it is special to come to this club where I have won everything. It is a special game with personal feelings," Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera said in the pre-match press conference. (ANI)