ISL: Mumbai City FC look to boost shot conversion as Jamshedpur FC seek to break away-day blues

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 11 (ANI): Mumbai City FC will play Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Sunday, at the Mumbai Football Arena.
According to a release from ISL, the Islanders will aim to bounce back after a disappointing home loss, while the Red Miners will look to complete a league double over Mumbai City FC for the second time in ISL history (also in 2018-19), having won the reverse fixture 3-2 on September 21, 2024.
A win for Jamshedpur FC in this match would mark just their second instance of back-to-back victories against Mumbai City FC, the first being a stretch of three wins between February 2018 and 2019.
Mumbai City FC have been inconsistent at home, losing two of their last five matches at the Mumbai Football Arena, including a 0-3 defeat to NorthEast United FC on December 30, 2024.
The last time they suffered consecutive home losses was in early 2023. Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC's away form has been dismal, with four consecutive defeats in away games and failing to score in three of those. The Red Miners will look to avoid matching their longest losing streak on the road, which was five games between November 2022 and January 2023.
The Islanders are sixth in the table, with 23 points from 14 games, courtesy of six victories and five draws. Jamshedpur FC are positioned fourth, winning 24 points from 13 matches, taking all three points in four out of their previous five clashes. The Red Miners are just three points short of the second-placed Bengaluru FC (27) and have a game in hand (13) compared to the Blues (14) too.
Despite the brief slump they had hit earlier, a strong start and a stronger recovery have placed them in a formidable spot in the standings, something they should aim at maximising at the home of the Islanders.
Mumbai City FC have conceded multiple goals in their last two games after keeping clean sheets in the four prior matches. The last time they allowed 2+ goals in more consecutive games was in 2022 (three games).
The team will want to rework their organisation at the back against a Jamshedpur FC unit that has netted eight times in their last five games.
Despite a low shot conversion rate of 8.4 per cent, the Islanders boast a shooting accuracy of 42.4 per cent, the fourth-best in the league this season. They will need to capitalise on their chances to break down Jamshedpur FC's defence, which has conceded only twice in their three previous encounters.
Jamshedpur FC have maintained the lowest possession in the league this season (41.1 per cent), significantly lower than Mumbai City FC's 55.4 per cent. The Red Miners have exceeded 50 per cent possession in just two of their 13 games. They tend to absorb pressure from the opponents, before hitting them on the counter-attack, with the help of quick personnel on the flanks and efficient converters upfront.
Muhammed Uvais has been a standout performer for Jamshedpur FC, averaging 9.7 final third entries per game, the second-highest among Indian outfielders this season. Uvais has also been industrious defensively, making 11 interceptions, winning 18 tackles, rounding off 39 clearances and 52 recoveries, along with 26 passes per game at 71 per cent accuracy.
Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky underlined the need to get all three points from this match.
"Regardless of who we play, every game is important for me. We need to win and that's our No. 1 priority. We need to play good football, as it gives us more chances to succeed," Kratky was quoted in a release from ISL as saying.
Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil stressed the need to acquire an encouraging outcome in tomorrow's match.
"It's an away game. So, it's very important. We must take full responsibility and work hard to get a positive result," Khalid said.
The two teams have played each other 15 times in the competition, with Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC winning seven and five games respectively. Three matches have resulted in draws. (ANI)