Under pressure Mumbai FC banking on home advantage against patchy East Bengal

by Kaushal Shukla May 19, 2015

Mumbai FC will look to break clear of the relegation threatened clutter with a win over a formidable yet inconsistent East Bengal side when the duo face off at Cooperage on Wednesday evening in a Hero I-League encounter.

Mumbai sit in the seventh place with just a point separating them from Dempo who currently occupy the League’s drop zone having played a game less than the Mumbai side.

East Bengal are currently fourth in the I-League charts with a third place finish the best the Kolkata side can realistically hope for.

Form Guide

East Bengal’s current form in the league sums up their season with two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five games. Recently, back to back defeats against Bengaluru FC and Pune FC all but ended their slim hopes of the title, leaving East Bengal to play the remaining games for pride and a small matter of finishing in the third place.

Mumbai FC have drawn their last five games, four of which have been away from Cooperage. Having made a bright start to proceedings after moving back to Cooperage this season, their home form has suffered and are winless in their last five games at home. With their current situation, that’s a statistic they will look to better, starting from tomorrow.

What the history holds?

For Mumbai FC fans, history makes a good reading as tomorrow’s hosts are unbeaten in their last four meetings with East Bengal, having drawn three and won one. Overall, Mumbai FC have beaten East Bengal on five occasion while the Red & Golds have emerged victorious on four occasions with their last win against Mumbai coming back in December of 2013 when they blanked Mumbai FC 2-0 at the Salt Lake stadium.

Team News

Mumbai FC are without Reisangmi Vashum and Collin Abranches after the duo had to come off in the first half against Dempo. Rahul Bheke who was the third Mumbai FC player to come off in that ill-fated first half has recovered in time to face East Bengal. Mumbai FC’s Japanese midfielder who played over an hour’s football in Goa could come back for the Mumbai outfit.

East Bengal will be without midfielder Mehtab Hussain and left back Robert who miss out due to injury.

Keys to Success

Twenty three of East Bengal’s twenty six points have come when either of Ranti Martins or Dudu Omagbemi have scored for the Red and Golds. So if Mumbai FC have to get anything out of the game they will have to stop the deadly duo.

Focusing on personnel, Mumbai FC have never won a game after being without the services of their Japanese midfielder Taisuke Matsugae. The Japanese’s injury has derailed Mumbai FC’s campaign which has seen them involved in a scrap for survival.

After, five winless games at Cooperage and five straight draws, a win is due for Mumbai FC to ease their troubles. An East Bengal side with nothing much to play for this season might just be the perfect opponent for Mumbai FC to put things right.