I-League 2018-19: Shillong Lajong vs Indian Arrows: Preview and predictions
What's the story
Following a defeat at the hands of East Bengal, Indian Arrows will travel to Meghalaya tomorrow to face Shillong Lajong.
These two teams make up the bottom of the league table with Arrows winning three and Shillong winning just one match till date.
Arrows have one match in hand and could share the seventh position with Minerva Punjab with a win tomorrow.
Here's more.
Arrows
Arrows are better defensively, should have an advantage tomorrow
Indian Arrows, in their last match against East Bengal, proved that they can be a strong defensive unit.
Their manager, Floyd Pinto, used three central defenders, Jitendra Singh, Anwar Ali, and Deepak Tangri, along with two fullbacks, and caused East Bengal problems.
This approach should be effective against Shillong, considering that the North-Eastern side have managed just 13 goals in the league so far.
Shillong Lajong
Shillong have a weaker defense; their goal difference is -20
In their last match, Shillong were defeated by NEROCA with a scoreline of 3-2.
While Shillong managed to press hard in the second half and ended up with two goals, they have been weak defensively throughout the tournament, with their goal difference being -20.
Their manager has said it's time to play more attacking football, but they have to be mindful of their defense.
Key players
Who will be the key players in the match?
Rohit Danu, Deepak Tangri, and Anwar Ali will be the key players for the Arrows.
Rahul K.P., who has not scored a single goal this season had played as center-forward during Danu's absence, but failed to impress.
Phrangki Buam and Samuel Lyngdoh showed promise in Shillong's match against Minerva Punjab, and have the potential to create problems for the Arrows' defense.
Prediction
Which way is the match likely to go tomorrow?
All things considered, Arrows definitely have an advantage tomorrow, as they have a promising defense and Shillong Lajong do not have prolific forwards in their ranks.
However, scoring two goals against NEROCA will give Shillong confidence, but only time will tell if they will be able to capitalize on the same.
Even if Shillong win, they will still remain at the bottom of the table.
League table
How does the league table look at the moment?
Chennai City lead the table with 24 points from 11 matches and their match against East Bengal on Monday will be hugely decisive in how the league table turns out.
EB can climb to the joint-second position with a match in hand if they win on Monday.
The competition seems pretty intense, with five points the difference from first to sixth spot on the table.