Still undefeated in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20, Mumbai City FC are set to face newcomers Odisha FC at the Mumbai Football Arena for their first home match of the season on Thursday. Having played two away matches so far, the Islanders won their first against Kerala Blasters FC before holding Chennaiyin FC to a goalless draw. Odisha, on the other hand, are still on the lookout for their first points in the Hero ISL after narrowly losing both their fixtures by a 2-1 scoreline, first against Jamshedpur and then against NorthEast.

Mumbai City FC

The highlight for the Mumbai City FC side so far this season has been their defence. Led by goalkeeper Amrinder Singh, the side is yet to concede this season and will hope to continue the trend in their first match at home this season. The stat is even more impressive considering the team has had to play an all-Indian backline post the injury to Mato Grgic in the first half of their first match. The likes of Sarthak Golui, Subhasish Bose, Sauvik Chakraborty have stepped up brilliantly to the challenge, and with a little help from Amrinder, managed to shut out their oppositions. Sauvik, however, will be unavailable in the upcoming match due to a red card received in the dying minutes of the Chennaiyin match.

The midfield with Raynier Fernandes and Rowllin Borges has been a solid prospect so far and the Islanders will be bolstered by the fact that Paulo Machado did get minutes against Chennaiyin after the injury scare against Kerala.

One player, however, who may miss out is Modou Sougou. The Senegalese striker had to be taken off early against Chennaiyin and will be a doubt against Odisha. Diego Carlos, Amine Chermiti, Mohamed Larbi and Serge Kevyn have looked dangerous on the break but the lack of the final product against Chennaiyin and Kerala might be a concern for Jorge Costa, who will hope they fire all cylinders at home on Thursday.

Odisha FC

Despite some commendable performances in multiple positions of the pitch, the newcomers have let the ball drop late in both their outings so far. Conceding late goals have been detrimental to the side who, despite having been level till the 80th minute in both their matches so far, conceded in the final stages. The defence will need to address their lapse in concentration against Mumbai, but will need to do it without defender Carlos Delgado, who is set to miss the match against Mumbai after being sent off against NorthEast.

On the offensive front, the team has managed just 2 goals in their two outings so far, and with Mumbai's defensive solidity, the likes of Xisco Hernandez, Aridane Santana, Nandhakumar Sekar and Marcos Tebar will need to produce a lot more quality in the final third than they have been doing so far.

Probable line-ups:

Mumbai City FC: Amrinder Singh (GK), Pratik Chaudhari, Subhasish Bose, Sarthak Golui, Valpuia, Rowllin Borges, Raynier Fernandes, Paulo Machado, Serge Kevyn, Mohamed Larbi, Amine Chermiti

Odisha FC: Francisco Dorronsoro (GK), Narayan Das, Shubham Sarangi, Rana Gharami, Mohammad Dhot, Vinit Rai, Marcos Tebar, Xisco Hernandez, Diawandou Diagne, Aridane Santana, Jerry Mawihmingthanga

Did you know?

• Mumbai lost their last 2 home matches in a row last season and both with the same scoreline (0-2).
• Odisha lost both their matches this season by a 2-1 scoreline.
• Mumbai have the second-lowest goal conversion rate (5.26%) while Odisha has 5^th-lowest (7.69%).

Fan Speak

Which midfield magician will leave his mark on the match?

• Paulo Machado
• Xisco Hernandez

Have your say in the comments section below.

Live broadcast schedule:

Hero ISL 2019-20 Match 12: Mumbai City FC vs Odisha FC

Time: 7:30 PM onwards, October 31

Channels: Star Sports Network

Streaming: Hotstar and Jio TV