Champions of India face the Men of Steel at the Steel City in the Play-offs.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & MBSG Media |
Champions of India. Ole Ole Ole !! We are the Champions.
As the streets of India are colored in hues of Green and Maroon and the fans rejoice winning the ISL Shield twice in a row in a record-breaking season, the season is far from over. All eyes on the ISL Cup as the Mariners face the Men of Steel in the 1st Leg Semifinal of ISL Playoffs at JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur on 3rd April, 2025.
Jamshedpur FC have pulled a surprising win against NorthEast United FC in the eliminator match. Under the mentorship of Khalid Jamil, they held their composure and denied all chances at goal. Stephen Eze played an important role both in attack and defense, from getting the lead in the match to defending it. With a final nail in the coffin from Javi in the ending minutes, they secured a win against the Highlanders in Shillong with a clean sheet and a final scoreline of 2-0.
Up Next : ISL Semifinal battle against The Miners ✈️
— MBFT : Mohun Bagan (@MBFT89) April 2, 2025
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Jamshedpur FC finished 5th in the ISL League table. While Mohun Bagan thrashed them at VYBK with a 3-0 scoreline, they managed to draw 1-1 in their home match. José Molina claimed that the scoreline could have been 1-7 or 1-8 but that is how Khalid Jamil changed his strategy and secured a point against the toughest opponent in the league.
A win in the upcoming away game will put Mohun Bagan ahead before the 2nd leg clash and the team less stressful about its results. At the same time while Mohun Bagan are the clear favourites in this upcoming semi-final leg 1, there is a need for caution to prevent the Red Miners from pulling off a miracle at the Furnace on Thursday.
5 Key Things to Look Out for on Thursday’s Clash:-
1. It’s not a Ferrari, it’s a Maclaren-Jamie Maclaren.
The All-time A-league high scorer is an experienced striker who turns up in the important matches to put the team ahead when it’s most needed. Being the highest scorer for the Mariners with 11 goals and 2 assists in 22 appearances, he will the man in the box that shakes the defence. He has already scored once against Jamshedpur FC and he will be looking to add to those numbers. His constant attempts to get past the defense line and getting into pockets of space will make it difficult for the opponent to defend against this menace.
2. The Defensive Wall-Alberto Rodriguez and Tom Aldred.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & MBSG Media |
The foreign duo, along with Vishal Kaith at goal, had the greatest defensive track record in ISL. Their strong performance throughout the season speaks for itself with 14 clean sheets. They synergize well with each other, making sure the ball stays away from danger zone in defence as well as add to the attack during set-pieces.
3. Midfield Playmaker-Greg Stewart.
This magical Scottie has been the talk of the town after a great performance this entire season. Even after returning from injury, he has left his mark in every match he has played. From delivering through passes to scoring on his own, he brings a flair to the attack which cannot be ignored. His presence on Thursday will make a difference on the playing field.
4. The Pouncing Tiger - Liston Colaco and Sahal Abdul Samad.
This winger-playmaker duo makes the best of every opportunity they get to keep the pressure in the attacking half. Apart from adding support to the defense, their skills allow them to maintain possession and their pace to be a threat to the opponent’s back line. Sahal's creativity will be a major threat for Jamshedpur, though Sahal hasn't played much this season, he can be a x-factor in the play-offs like last season.
5. Jamshedpur FC’s Big Man-Stephen Eze.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & Jamshedpur FC Media |
He played an important role in securing a draw against the Mariners in ISL by dribbling past 4 defenders and scoring, and stood as a wall in front of the goal, putting his body on the line. With Pronay Halder, he will have to put up a similar performance to stop Bagan’s ferocious attack. Having also scored vs NEUFC in the eliminator match, he will be a crucial part of Khalid Jamil’s plans to change the outcome of the upcoming game.
-: Tactical Analysis:-
Mohun Bagan will field a 4-2-3-1 lineup with Subhasish Bose as Captain. Molina will choose to dominate this match and gain a significant lead in the first leg of the ISL Cup Semifinals. He will stretch the team towards the sidelines, making good use of left backs and fast paced runs from the wingers. Greg Stewart will be in support to connect and develop the attack in the final third.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & MBSG Media. |
The striker, Jamie Maclaren, will take attempts to break the offside trap and force the defense line behind. His experience should work in favour to find the gaps in defense and tap the ball into the net. As Apuia is not available, Abhishek Suryavanshi will be in control of the central midfield with the responsibility of keeping possession and stopping Javi from trying his tricks. Anirudh Thapa will work alongside him as blockers when defending, quadrupling up with centre-backs to stop through passes being played which open up the face of the goal. Anirudh may be given the permission to venture forward more, to create more openings on the edge of the opponent's penalty area. Besides his ball hitting ability from distance can cause problems for Jamshedpur defense, who will play a low block.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & MBSG Media. |
The centre-backs, Alberto and Tom will help with developing attacks and keeping their own penalty box safe from Jordan Murray and Javi’s attempts. As we know, Mohun Bagan loves to score from set pieces and the team will make the best to score from every chance it gets. With 14 clean sheets, the defense is confident. It is the job of the offense to close out the game in its favor.
Jamshedpur FC, under the guidance of head coach Khalid Jamil, has been a dark horse. His tactics are more based on scoring from open play with horizontal passing through the midfield as the far end wingers move forward and increase the man count in the box. He deploys a typical 4-4-2 lineup with Javi as Captain.
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| Picture Courtesy - ISL & Jamshedpur FC Media |
With previous ISL experience, the ex-Mariner will guide the team to win against all odds. In defense, Albino Gomes has been solid at goal this season. Stephen Eze will do his best to lead the defense as a unit and stop impending attacks. Ex-mariners in defense, Ashutosh and Pronay will need to match their pace to stop the pouncing tigers, Liston and Manvir, who looked unstoppable in the 3-0 loss at VYBK.
With Mobashir Rahman getting suspended in the previous match, Sourav Das will fill his spot. He will be on his toes to stop Greg from developing attacks. Rei, on the other hand, will be responsible for being the playmaker as Javi will play up front along with Murray. He loves to take long shots from the edge of the box so that is something the Mariners should be wary of.
They possess fast-paced wingers as well in the likes of Sanan and Nikhil who will try to deliver accurate balls into the box for the strikers to score. They will keep high pressure on the opponent till they get a lead and exert physical dominance on Mohun Bagan throughout the match to ensure the final scoreline is in their favor.
Predicted Lineups :-
Mohun Bagan Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vishal Kaith(GK), Ashish Rai-Tom Aldred- Alberto Rodriguez- Subhasish Bose(C), Abhishek Suryavanshi-Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad-Greg Stewart-Liston Colaco, Jamie Maclaren.
Coach : Jose Francisco Molina.
Jamshedpur FC Predicted Lineup (4-4-2): Albino Gomes(GK), Muhammed Uvais-Stephen Eze-Pronay Halder-Ashutosh Mehta, Mohammed Sanan K-Rei Tachikawa-Sourav Das-Nikhil Barla, Javi Hernández(C)-Jordan Murray.
Coach: Khalid Jamil.
On their home ground on Thursday, Jamshedpur FC will have the support of their fans. But the away fans support is always there backing the Mariners, whose voice and cheers will feel like a Champion’s roar, ready to engulf the stadium. The Men of Steel will go for a win with a goal lead before the 2nd leg clash at the battleground of VYBK meanwhile Mohun Bagan will show them how Champions play the game.
Kick OFF: 3rd April, 2025, 7:30 PM IST
Venue: JRD TATA Sports Complex, Jamshedpur, India.
Live Stream: Star sports 3(TV), Sports 18 khel(TV), JioStar(India OTT Stream), One Football (International OTT Stream)
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