Jamshedpur FC kept their top 4 hopes alive with a win over Odisha in their last game. SC East Bengal’s hopes of finishing in the play-offs place in their debut season are almost close to impossible to now after their defeat to Bengaluru in the last game. Jamshedpur could close the gap between Hyderabad to a point if they get the better of the Red and Gold brigade while a win for the side from Maidan will keep their top 4 hopes alive, at least mathematically. SC East Bengal will be without Robbie Fowler who has been banned for 4 games after he was found guilty of using derogatory comments against the referees, which will make their task against Jamshedpur a tad bit harder.
Jamshedpur FC ended a run of 5 games without a win against the Juggernauts. Goal scoring has been an issue for the Red Miners this season, having scored only 14 goals in 15 games even though Owen Coyle while moving from Chennaiyin had taken last season’s top scorer Valskis along with him to the Steel City. Valskis has grabbed 8 goals for the Miners this season but its the absence of goals from his teammates what’s hurting Jamshedpur. To put it into perspective, the Red Miners second-highest goal scorer is Stephen Eze, their Nigerian centre-back.
SC East Bengal needed a win against Bengaluru to make inroads into reducing the deficit against the top 4, but a defeat made them fall way behind the chasing pack. Mathematically, they can still make it to the playoffs, but it is looking very implausible given that they would be missing Fowler in the dugout for their next 4 games. The silver lining around SC East Bengal’s dark cloud would probably be the fact that Tony Grant who has been in charge in the dugout for a single game when Fowler was suspended, the Red and Gold brigade were on the winning side.
3 Indian Players To Look Out For
Mobashir Rahman has been very instrumental in the Jamshedpur midfield this season. He has impressed the pundits with his tenacity and abilities. He was the difference between Odisha and Jamshedpur in the last game as he grabbed the goal that separated the sides. Mobashir also has an assist to his name this season. He will look to push and take control of the midfield as Jamshedpur continue their quest for a maiden appearance in the play-offs.
Farukh Choudhary, after 3 seasons with the Red Miners, opted for the Mumbai City FC blue in 2020, but after just spending half of the season with the Islanders, Farukh is back in Jamshedpur and that saw Jackichand reunite with Lobera. Farukh has been a regular feature for the Miners since his arrival and he will be itching to have a bigger impact for his side and make Stimac take notice.
Debit Majumder has been probably SC East Bengal’s brightest Indian star. He completed a half-century of saves for his side in 15 games averaging more than 3 saves per game. He will be once again critical to the success of the Red and Gold brigade if they want to come out of the game with all 3 points and also push for a place in the national side.
3 Foreign Players To Look Out For
Nerijus Valskis lit the ISL up in his debut season while plying his trade with Chennaiyin FC. When Owen Coyle moved to Jamshedpur he brought his talisman around with him. Valskis has found the back of the net 8 times this season but there is a lack of support from other possible scorers in the team and thus the Red Miners are struggling in the final third. Valskis will need to be on the top of his game if he wants to out fox Danny Fox.
Stephen Eze has represented the Super Eagles 13 times and the tall and lanky defender has been one of Jamshedpur’s bankable players this season. Not only has he been a sound presence in their defence, he is also an attacking threat on set pieces and corners. He is their second-highest goalscorer with 3 goals to his name and Coyle will be expecting his star defender to again shut out East Bengal’s forays along with Hartley and if possible get his head onto one of those dead balls delivered into the box.
Danny Fox’s bust-up with Cleiton didn’t end favourably for the defender. Cleiton got one over him and found his name on the scoresheet. Fox will be wary of the threat Valskis and Eze pose on his goal and he will have to be in his element and not get worked up in mind games to ensure that SC East Bengal’s defence isn’t breached. With Fowler absent from the dugout, Grant will be banking on his most experienced defender to lead his team towards a win.
Team News and Injuries
SC East Bengal will miss their coach Robbie Fowler who is banned for 4 matches. They will also miss out on Lalramchullova and Loken Metei who are sidelined with long term injuries. Jamshedpur will not be missing out on players due to injuries or suspensions but Peter Hartley will need to be wary of a yellow card, the next he picks will result in a 1 game suspension.
Jamshedpur FC vs SC East Bengal Head to Head
The Red Miners and the Red and Gold brigade has only met once, in the reverse fixture which ended in a goalless draw which saw both teams end the game with 10 men on the pitch. Both sets of fans will be hoping for a better game and a better outcome this time around.
Predicted Lineup
Jamshedpur FC ( 4-4-1-1): Rehenesh TP (GK), Narender Gahlot, Stephen Eze, Peter Hartley, Laldinliana, Nicholas Fitzgerald, Alex, Mobashir Rahman, Seiminlen Doungel, Farukh Choudhury, Nerijus Valskis.
SC East Bengal (4-2-3-1): Debjit Majumder (GK), Scott Neville, Sarthak Golui, Danny Fox, Narayan Das, Ajay Chhetri, Matty Steinmann, Bright Enobakhare, Jacques Angousana, Ankit Mukherjee, Anthony Pilkington.
Predicted Result:
Jamshedpur will have the onus on them to get maximum points from this game while SC East Bengal will be fighting to keep their bleak chances alive. Jamshedpur is likely to take all 3 points in a close game as both teams are struggling in the final third and a solo could decide the game. A 1-0 win for the men from the Steel City is our prediction.
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