ISL 2022-23: Winless NorthEast United FC takes on unbeaten Mumbai City FC in battle of contrasting fortunes
By Team Newsable | First Published Nov 25, 2022, 8:00 AM ISTInterestingly, the recent head-to-head is in favour of the Highlanders as Mumbai City FC enters this match to end their previous four-game winless run against NorthEast United FC and grab the top spot.
NorthEast United FC, the only team without a point in the ISL season to date, will play Mumbai City FC, who are unbeaten this year, in the upcoming game in Guwahati. The match will take place at the city's Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on Friday.
Interestingly, Mumbai City FC enters this match hoping to snap a four-game losing streak to NorthEast United FC and take over first place, despite the recent head-to-head being in favour of the Highlanders.
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A lengthy vacation may have aided NorthEast United FC in resting and reevaluating their strategy. At the Salt Lake Stadium, Marco Balbul's team appeared to have earned the first point of the campaign against ATK Mohun Bagan FC, but it was ultimately taken from them. The Highlanders are currently on their worst stretch in ISL history.
If NorthEast United FC suffers another defeat, Delhi Dynamos, a former Hero ISL team, will hold the record for the league's longest losing streak, which was achieved in the 2017–18 campaign. Mumbai City FC is on a high after scoring 10 goals in their last two games; thus the Highlanders will have a mountain to climb to avoid this. Wilmar Jordan, a Colombian striker who was just recruited by NorthEast United FC, will be in the squad for this match but is unlikely to feature because Balbul says his team will be patient as Jordan improves his fitness.
"Mumbai are one of the best teams in the league and are in their best shape now. They have scored ten goals in the last two games. To stop them, we need to be very organised and compact in defence," said Balbul.
With Hyderabad FC's unbeaten streak coming to an abrupt end last week, Mumbai City FC has their sights set on first place. With a victory versus NorthEast United FC, the Islanders, who are currently one point behind the defending champions, might take first place in the standings.
Des Buckingham, the head coach, is anticipated to stick to his usual strategy of not frequently changing his starting lineup. Despite a shaky start, Buckingham insisted that NorthEast United FC is not underestimating its opponents because it is ignoring data.
“We have watched all of NorthEast’s games, especially the recent ones. They haven’t yet registered a point, but the performances they have put in have kept the scorelines tight,” said Buckingham, talking about his opponents. “We don’t look at being unbeaten. We try to get better in every game. We will give this fixture the attention and respect it deserves, just like how we have done with all teams that we have faced so far, because if we don’t, it could be a very difficult evening for us,” he added.
The two sides have met 16 times in the ISL. Mumbai City FC have won seven times, while NorthEast United FC have won on five occasions. Four games have ended in a draw, with two coming last season.
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