I know what time it is, you know what time it is, it’s time for a Super Sunday preview! Having relinquished normal match previewing duties to Steve, it’s quite nice to be able to do a preview and I get to do that ending that everybody knows and loves. The two games this time around sees FC Goa take on Mumbai and the later game will see Jamshedpur travel to Kolkata to face ATK.
FC Goa will make the gap to fifth place six points with a win over Mumbai and considering they’ve just picked up ex-Kerala man Sifneos to complement Coro and Lanzarote, they’ll be a danger from the get go. On the contrary, if Mumbai get all three points, they’ll cut the gap between them and fourth-placed Goa to only two points.
If Mumbai win in the earlier game and Jamshedpur win in Kolkata, the ‘Men of Steel’ will go level on points with Goa. ATK will go as high as sixth with a win and could end the weekend only four points outside of the playoff places which will give them hope moving forward.
Stat Attack
FC Goa’s newly formed trio of Sifneos, Lanzarote and Coro have scored 21 goals between them this season which is more than 70% of the teams in the ISL. Incredible.
Mumbai have only won once away from home this season and that came against NorthEast United. Slim pickings.
ATK have only scored four goals at home this season, the worst in the league alongside Delhi. Sparse.
Jamshedpur have conceded ten in their last six games. In the previous six they only conceded one. Caution to the wind.
Earlier this season
Mumbai City 2-1 FC Goa
A late goal from Thiago Santos gave Mumbai the spoils in a game that even the most ardent of Mumbai supporter will admit they shouldn’t have won. To be fair, they shouldn’t have even got a point. Such is the beauty of the ISL. The first half saw Goa have 72% of the ball but for all their possession, they did little to trouble Amrinder in the Mumbai goal. Completely against the run of play, after the break, Everton Santos put Mumbai one up. With only seven minutes left, it seemed that Goa had earned a point after Coro teed up Manuel Arana, but, with only two minutes left, Thiago got the winner. Goa made over 300 more passes than Mumbai and came away with nothing. Brilliant smash & grab by Mumbai.
Jamshedpur 0-0 ATK
In complete contrast to the Mumbai versus Goa game, this one was crap. There’s not an awful lot else to say about it because it was that bad. It was when Steve Coppell’s side were going through a stage where they were relatively content to draw every game 0-0 and ATK were, well, they were just ATK. Unsurprisingly, ATK had more of the ball and they did muster five shots on target, but the Bikey & Tiri combination stood strong.
One more thing…
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but all things considered, if I was a betting man and luckily I am, I’d be backing Goa @ even money which is an insane price. Get the house on it, we’re up to five now if my memory serves.
