ISL 2018-19- ATK vs Jamshedpur: Match preview and prediction
What's the story
ATK will be taking on Jamshedpur tomorrow in their return fixture of the Indian Super League. While the Kolkata-based two-time winners of the tournament are sixth on the league table with 17 points from 13 matches, Jamshedpur are fifth with 20 points. Will ATK level points with Jamshedpur tomorrow? Or will Jamshedpur equal fourth-placed NorthEast United? Here is our detailed match preview.
ATK
Are ATK ready for the challenge?
ATK have to secure a victory tomorrow to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for the play-offs. In their last five matches, ATK have won just one, drawing against Goa, NorthEast and Kerala while losing to Bengaluru FC. Edu Garcia's form will be a decisive factor in tomorrow's fixture. Manuel Lanzarote will return to action after missing the Blasters match.
Jamshedpur
How are Jamshedpur shaping up for tomorrow?
Jamshedpur are looking pretty solid, coming off five straight matches without a loss. But they have a huge concern in terms of Tim Cahill getting injured and probably being out for the rest of the season. Mario Arques can be marked in the mid-field by Pronay Haldar, a situation the Spaniard needs to be aware of. Carlos Calvo won't participate due to his suspension.
Key players
Who will be the key players in the match?
Kolkata's defense can take inspiration from the fact that they kept a clean sheet against fierce attackers in the FC Goa match. While going forward, Edu Garcia will be their trump card. Further, attacking mid-fielder Manuel Lanzarote will also be important. Sergio Cidoncha and Pablo Morgado will be Jamshedpur's main men going forward while Sumit Passi might replace Cahill as the striker.
TV listing
Predicted line-up and TV listing
ATK: Arindam, Ricky, Vieira, Johnson, Kotal, Halder, Santos, Rane, Lanzarote, Garcia, Balwant. Jamshedpur: Pal, Dhanachandra, Gaikwad, Tiri, Gurung, Arques, Memo, Soosairaj, Cidoncha, Morgado, Passi. The match is scheduled to kick-off from 7:30 PM and can be viewed on the Star Sports network or live-streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV.
Prediction
Who can turn out victorious in the encounter?
If ATK manage to score early tomorrow, chances are they might come out on top. However, they have been plagued by poor performance of their forwards this term, and it will remain a concern for them. It will be interesting to see how Jamshedpur cope up with the loss of Cahill, but the balance is still in their favor. Jamshedpur can win 1-0.