ISL 2024-25: Jamshedpur FC, Mohammedan SC seek crucial win in bid to end struggles

Two teams in immediate need of positive results will lock horns when Mohammedan SC (MSC) and Jamshedpur FC (JFC) meet each other at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 here on Monday. The Red Miners had begun the campaign on a cracking note with all of their concerned departments clicking cohesively to gather positive results early on. However, a spate of defeats since then means that they are seeking to come back to winning ways as they are ninth in the table with 12 points from eight encounters, with four victories and losses each.

Mohammedan SC are in 12th position right now, with a solitary win and a couple of draws. They had come touchingly close to notching a season-defining win against Bengaluru FC in their previous match - with an eighth-minute strike by Cesar Manzoki holding them in good stead until the 82nd minute of the match. However, a late brace by Sunil Chhetri clinched the maximum points for the Blues. Both these teams have ample time to resurrect their runs, but they will want to start that initiative from the forthcoming fixture onwards.

Jamshedpur FC have been dealt with losses in each of their last three games, conceding 3+ goals in all of them. Their last longer losing streak was a run of four games from October to December 2023, something they would desperately not want to equal this year. The fact that they are playing in their home turf adds greater significance to the game since the team has the responsibility of keeping up to the expectations of the supporters.

Jamshedpur FC's attack needs to blend in a little bit more finesse in their endeavours upfront since they have recorded a passing accuracy of 57.4 per cent in the opposition's half this season - joining Chennaiyin FC in being only among the two teams that have to register a metric of less than 60% in this regard. Overall also, the Red Miners' passing accuracy of 67% requires some improvement.

So far, Mohammedan SC have netted four times in ISL 2024-25. It is the joint-lowest tally for any team after these many games in their debut season in the competition, tied with Jamshedpur FC! They do have the answers in their frontline but the team needs to supplement their strengths consistently to find the back of the net more often.

Mohammedan SC have been at the receiving end of the supreme aerial prowess of their opponents this season, conceding five headed goals in ISL 2024-25. It is the most by any team in the current campaign. Though Andrey Chernyshov might want to fix that, it could also come as a respite to them that the Red Miners have notched only one headed strike in the present term of the tournament. This will be the first encounter between the two teams in the ISL.

Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil said that the team needs to uplift their "overall performance" to get better results in the coming games. He acknowledged that collective good outings haven't been happening in the last few matches.

"If we look into the last few games, overall performance has not been up to the mark from everyone, including me. I take responsibility. It happens sometimes, but the strikers solely can't be blamed for that, neither could the midfielders and defenders. It's always a team performance so we should think collectively," Jamil said as quoted by the ISL official website.

Mohammedan SC head coach Andrey Chernyshov expressed that the team is working hard on the training ground and stayed positive that those efforts will bear results on the field too.

"We have worked very well in the practice. They have been doing well in matches too, but in football, the result doesn't come (in our favour) sometimes. Many times, we had so many chances to score, but we couldn't do that. But we are positive. We want to play well," Chernyshov said.

Mohammedan SC's creative fulcrum Alexis Gomez has created 14 goal-scoring opportunities in ISL 2024-25. This is the highest tally for any player yet to record an assist, something that Gomez will want to do at the home of the Red Miners.

Jamshedpur FC's Stephen Eze has been a commanding presence at the back for them, recording league-high 26-headed clearances. In fact, along with Asheer Akhtar (56), he (50) is one of the two players to have made 50+ clearances in the competition this edition.

Mohammedan SC's Gaurav Bora has gone about doing his job ever so consistently for them, playing 720 minutes - the joint most by any defender yet to be dribbled past by an opponent in 2024-25 (also Mumbai City FC's Mehtab Singh). Jamshedpur FC will have to discover newer ways to get past Bora. (ANI)