ISL 2018-19: Jamshedpur vs Pune City: Preview and prediction
What's the story
Jamshedpur FC will be hosting Pune City tomorrow in their return Indian Super League fixture. While Jamshedpur are fifth on the league table with 23 points from 15 matches, Pune are seventh with 15 points from 14 matches. If Jamshedpur win tomorrow, they will be only one point away from the fourth place. Here we present to you our detailed match preview.
Jamshedpur
How are Jamshedpur looking ahead of the match?
Jamshedpur will be riding high on confidence having suffered just one loss in their last four matches. They will try to secure their playoff spot by winning this match and hoping that Mumbai City or NorthEast United will drop points to make their playoff target smoother. However, they have hardly been prolific in front of goal, scoring just five in their last five fixtures.
Pune City
Are Pune City ready for the challenge?
Pune City have shown an improved form in recent matches, pocketing 10 points in their last five fixtures. They have also shown some merit in scoring goals, with Marcelinho having already netted five goals this season. However, it will be a boon for Pune if other players step up to the occasion as well. They will be coming off a draw and a win.
Key players
Who will be the key players in the match tomorrow?
Sergio Cidoncha will be the hosts' trump card against Pune. With the absence of Tim Cahill after his injury, Cidoncha will have a huge responsibility in scoring goals for Jamshedpur. Memo, the central midfielder will also be an important part of the operations. Iain Hume will be an important piece of the puzzle for Pune, as will be the in-form Marcelinho.
Predicted line-up
Predicted line-up and TV listing
Jamshedpur: Paul, Gurung, Chowdhary, Tiri, Singh, Arques, Memo, Morgado, Jairu, Cidoncha, Choudhary. Pune Cuty: Kamaljit Singh, Golui, Diaz, Panwar, Khan, Stankovic, Carlos, Kuruniyan, Robin Singh, Pereira, Hume. The match is scheduled to kick-off from 7:30 PM and can be seen on the Star Sports network and also live-streamed on Hotstar and Jio TV.
Match prediction
How can the match turn out tomorrow?
Pune will surely be at an advantage tomorrow after having defeated Jamshedpur in all of their last three encounters. Though Jamshedpur are playing at home, their over-dependence on Marcelinho can cause them problems as Pune are in a good run of form at the moment. We predict the scoreline to go 2-0 in Pune's favor.
Fantasy XI
What should be the ideal Fantasy XI for the encounter?
Choose a 3-4-3 formation for the match with Subrata Paul as the goalkeeper. Chowdhary, Diaz and Panwar can be the center-backs. Arques and Memo should be the central midfielders, while Carlos and Kuruniyan play as the wing-backs. Cidoncha, Pereira, and Hume can act as the forwards in the match.