PANAJI
A match in a Hero Indian Super League (ISL) league phase can’t by nature have anything more than three points at stake but when Kerala Blasters FC take on Mumbai City FC at the Tilak Maidan stadium in Vasco, Goa on Wednesday, there will be a lot more riding on it.
On paper, there will be just another three points on offer, but these three points could go on to make the rest of the points the teams have gathered during the season count for something.
A place and a point separates Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters FC in the Hero ISL charts going into a game which is the penultimate one of their respective league stage campaigns.
The equation is simple. A win for Mumbai City FC would guarantee them a place in the semi-finals. It would also take ATK Mohun Bagan into the semi-finals.
A draw would mean ATK Mohun Bagan would advance without needing to collect any further points in their remaining matches but the battle for the fourth spot between Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters FC would go down to the last round of matches.
A win for Kerala Blasters FC though would keep it all open. It would put Ivan Vukomanovic’s side in the driver’s seat to claim a semi-final spot ahead of Mumbai City FC, but the Islanders won’t be out of it and would have a chance to sneak in on the last day if other results go their way.
ATK Mohun Bagan would also need to get positive results in their respective matches.
Vukomanovic’s team come into this game in a bit of a stuttering form. They have won just two of their last five matches, having also lost twice during this period. They have scored seven and conceded exactly the same amount of goals in their last five matches. So, they have conceded 36% of their total goals this season in the last five matches.
Des Buckingham’s team are in fine form ahead of this crunch match, winning four out of their last five matches. Even though the performances have been far from their free-flowing ones at the start of the season, the Islanders have looked solid as they have kept three clean sheets in their last five outings and have conceded just four goals. They have scored nine goals in the process.
