Mumbai City FC’s six-game unbeaten run in the Indian Super League came to an abrupt end when Roy Krishna-led ATK ran riot to emerge 2-0 victorious at the Mumbai Football Arena last week. So as the league enters its business end, Jorge Costa’s men prepare themselves for an away trip to face Odisha FC, who are fresh off a 2-0 win over Chennaiyin FC.
Mumbai and Odisha are separated by a solitary point in the league table. Having won each one of their last three home games, manager Josep Gombau will look to replicate his team’s previous form which guided them to a 4-2 win over Mumbai the last time these two sides met.
Contrary to the Islanders’ home record, their away performances have been outstanding. They are, in fact, the only team who are yet to lose an away fixture this season and have as many as 13 different goal scorers; most by any team.
However, the fact that they are yet to keep a clean sheet in their last nine games is a troubling factor. What’s more agitating is the fact that their forward line is yet to hit the ground running.
Read | ISL 2019-20: Chhetri and Drobarov score the best goals of Week 11
Attack needs to fire
Mumbai forwards, Amine Chermiti and Modou Sougou have only six goals between them. The former, who happens to be the club’s top scorer this season, has only scored four goals so far, which is the joint least by any team’s top scorer this season. What’s more troubling for the team is that he has attempted just one shot in his last three games.
Sougou, on his part, has only scored in one out of the nine games he has been a part of. Diego Carlos, on the other hand, has shown glimpses of quality, but has a solitary goal to show for his efforts in 10 games he has played this season. It is, however, good that the midfielders, as well as the defenders, have stepped in in the need of the hour.
Set pieces both a boon and a bane for Mumbai
Mumbai, who have scored five goals from outside the box this season, are both vulnerable and threatening when it comes to set-pieces. Such has been their dominance in the context that set-piece situations have been responsible for 41.17% of all their goals, having scored seven (free kicks - 2, corner kicks – 4, penalties – 1).
Read | How Raynier and Grgic helped Mumbai City FC to a win over Hyderabad FC
On the contrary, Mumbai have also conceded six goals from crosses; a trait which remains Odisha’s lethal weapon. Known for their immaculate wing play, no team has scored more goals from crosses this year than Odisha (seven goals). And the man taking the centre stage for them is Jerry Mawihmingthanga.
The 22-year-old has assisted four goals this season and all of them have come through crosses. Three of those, in fact, have been to Aridane Santana, who has already scored two goals against Mumbai. Odisha, in total, have attempted 133 crosses this season, 25% (33) of which have been sent in by Jerry.
Feature Image courtesy: Twitter / @MumbaiCityFC
