After an opening-day loss, Mumbai City FC bounced back in spectacular fashion in their home opener, trouncing state rivals FC Pune City 5-0 – the biggest win so far in the Hero Indian Super League. They now welcome the team who are third and just above them in the league table, NorthEast United FC. The Highlanders are playing their first away game and having gotten used to the support of a raucous crowd in Guwahati, they will face a new challenge playing in front of the vociferous Mumbai supporters. Their task on the pitch will be no less difficult, coming up against a Mumbai attack riding high on confidence. Mumbai are likely to be further bolstered by the full debut of marquee player Freddie Ljungberg, who came on as a substitute against Pune and has been declared 100% fit by manager Peter Reid. NorthEast have made a mark with their attacking style and will be looking to exploit chinks in the Mumbai defence that shipped in three goals in that opening-day defeat to Atlético de Kolkata. André Moritz vs Isaac ChansaMoritz is coming off a starring performance in the match against Pune, having scored the ISL’s first-ever hat-trick. The Brazilian will surely be looking to add to his goals tally, and is dangerous as a playmaker as well. Tasked with stopping him will be Zambian midfielder Isaac Chansa who has impressed for the Highlanders and earned credit for his showing against FC Goa’s Robert Pirès in his last match, helping his defence contain the threat posed by the Frenchman. He will hope to repeat his performance when coming up against Mumbai’s scoring sensation. Jan Štohanzl vs KokeKoke has been one of the standout performers for the NorthEast side, operating in the classic no 10 role just behind the striker. The Spanish playmaker has scored two goals, and is the focal point of NorthEast’s attacking play. Štohanzl, meanwhile, bounced back from the opening-day defeat against Atlético de Kolkata in style, blunting the FC Pune City attack time after time and going forward himself as Mumbai ran riot. Koke will be a difficult proposition for the Czech midfielder, however, and the duel between the two promises to be a fascinating one. Nadong Bhutia vs Robin GurungTwo of the most promising Indian players in the ISL will come to head-to-head as Mumbai right winger Bhutia faces off against NorthEast left back Gurung. Bhutia has impressed manager Peter Reid not only with his work rate but also with his growing confidence, with Reid delighted that Bhutia has started expressing himself on the pitch while adding an element of flair to his game. Gurung, meanwhile, is one of the most important members of the NorthEast set-up and is Ricki Herbert’s first-choice left-back when fit. Gurung has more than justified this decision with his all-action displays on the pitch. Players to watchMumbai City FCSubhash Singh: The Manipuri striker put in an excellent display against Pune, scoring one and nearly adding another, and impressing with his overall contribution to Mumbai’s attacks. With hat-trick hero Moritz and marquee player Ljungberg likely to draw most of the attention of the NorthEast defence, Subhash could prosper yet again.NorthEast United FCDurga Boro: The Assamese player has caught the eye with his performances for NorthEast, running at defenders and linking up well with his fellow attackers. He will be looking to open his goal-scoring tally and should prove to be a constant menace for the Mumbai defence.Manager SpeakPeter Reid (Mumbai City FC): I have played against a few of Ricki’s teams when I was coaching Thailand and I know that his teams are very tough to beat. He sets his teams up to play a competitive brand of football. Ricki Herbert (NorthEast United FC): We respect a side that has scored five in its previous game, but that will not deter us from trying to play our offensive brand of football.
