Football fans in Shillong will have a spirited fixture on their hands on Friday when NorthEast United FC hosts Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, for the first time in Indian Super League (ISL) history.
Sitting in fourth place, Juan Pedro Benali’s men will be looking to soak in the fresh home environment and complete the double over MCFC for the first time, after winning the reverse fixture 3-0 in December 2024.
On the other hand, Petr Kratky’s side remains sixth in the table after a goalless stalemate against East Bengal, its seventh draw of the campaign.
Contrasting strengths and weaknesses
Despite being on an eight-game unbeaten streak, hanging onto leads has been a major drawback for the Highlanders. After surrendering its lead twice against FC Goa in its previous fixture, NEUFC has now dropped 16 points from winning positions, the most by any team in the league this season.
Despite the situation, Benali defended his side by highlighting how much his side has improved over the last two seasons.
“Two seasons ago, If we took one point, it was the biggest party in Guwahati and everywhere,” Benali said during the pre-match press conference.
“(Tomorrow) the points are very important, very crucial. We need to take advantage and get the most points possible and not leave it until the last game of the league to see if we are in the playoffs. We need to finalise it as soon as possible,” he added.
NEUFC will be boosted by forward Alaaeddine Ajaraie’s return to form, recording four goals and one assist in his last five games. The Moroccan is one goal away from breaking the record for most goals scored in a single season (18), held by Ferran Corominas and Bartholomew Ogbeche.
NEUFC also has scored the most goals (37) and created the most chances (232) in the league this season, thanks to the variety of attackers like Partib Gogoi, Jithin M.S., Nestor Albiach and new signing Guillermo Fernandez in its ranks.
For MCFC, defending has been the lone bright spark in an otherwise lacklustre season. It has conceded the second-least goals in the league so far (22), behind Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Centre-back Mehtab Singh has been a resolute part of Mumbai’s backline this season, starting in all 18 games so far.
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On the wings, youngsters Hmingthanmawia Ralte (Valpuia) and Nathan Asher Rodrigues have held their weight, with the former even contributing in attack with two goals and one assist. In fact, MCFC’s defenders have scored six of its 22 goals this season.
However, its defensive accomplishments this season have been overshadowed by its misfiring attack. New-signing Nikolaos Karelis has contributed with nine goals but Indian players Vikram Partap Singh, Bipin Singh and club captain Lallianzuala Chhangte have not found form.
To add to its woes, Kratky confirmed that top scorer Karelis will miss the match due to an injury he sustained during MCFC’s match against East Bengal.
“We have a lot of areas that we need to improve and a lot of areas that we are doing very well,” MCFC coach Kratky said.
“We know that NorthEast is a very good team. But we have to focus on ourselves and I’m sure we’ll score goals,” he added.
With a win boosting the chances of securing a playoff spot, it is the perfect chance for both teams to find the cohesion between attack and defence and secure all three points.
