The stakes will be high when Mumbai City FC take on FC Goa in the 34th match of the Hero Indian Super League at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai tomorrow. A win for the fourth placed hosts (11 points) will catapult them to the top of the table while a victory for the seventh placed visitors (8 points) will propel them closer to the top four. The two sides were involved in a goalless draw when they met earlier in the first leg in Goa.Mumbai City head into the game with two wins and two draws from their last four matches while the Goans come in with a rousing win away at Delhi and have two wins, two draws and four losses overall.The Zico-coached side have statistically been the most attacking team in the ISL and showed their potential by demolishing Delhi Dynamos FC 1-4 in an away game. They will be riding on that momentum tomorrow. On the other hand, Peter Reid’s lads will have to put on their scoring boots again, having failed to hit the target in their previous two outings.Form Guide (most recent first)Mumbai City FC: DDWWLFC Goa: WDLWLManuel Friedrich vs Tolgay ÖzbeyTolgay Özbey was at the helm of things against the Dynamos, scoring one goal, and winning a penalty for his team, which was duly converted by Robert Pirès. He will look to carry that form to Mumbai, where he will be up against a much tougher defence that has kept five clean sheets in the tournament, led by Manuel Friedrich. The former German international will have to be alert and also position himself well throughout the game, as he cannot afford to offer the Australian space to run in and get his shots away like the way he did in the previous game.Deepak Mandal vs Mandar Rao DesaiThe 35-year-old former India defender has been instrumental in helping to keep Mumbai’s goal intact in the last few matches along with his teammates. Coach Reid prefers to play the highly experienced war horse in the right back position. But Mandal will have a tough job at hand in marking upcoming Goan winger Mandar Rao Desai. Desai has been a revelation in the tournament, with confident performances in each outing. The Goan wingers have been very effective in orchestrating attacks for their team and Mandal will have his hands full keeping them in check as well as moving up to support the Mumbai attack.Nicolas Anelka vs Youness BengellounNicolas Anelka has been the one of the main driving forces behind Mumbai’s resurgence, with Mumbai losing only one of the five games he has played. The Frenchman brings with him vast experience at the tip of the attack and has plenty of ability to win a match on his own. He will be up against countryman Youness Bengelloun, who enters this game on the back of a sensational performance against Delhi, where he scored two goals and was instrumental in blunting the rival attack. Bengelloun has faced Anelka once before in the competition and will use that experience to keep his quiet again.Players to watchSubhash SinghThe sprightly forward has been a joy to watch, with his pace down the right hand side often causing problems to opposition defenders. But he will have to improve on his decision making in the final third to show for all the attacking skills he has.André SantosThe Brazilian is back from an injury and played the last game for Goa in the midfield alongside Robert Pirès. As he plays more games and gets his match fitness up to the mark, he can be expected to contribute more tellingly and change matches with his flair and long-range efforts.
