Mumbai City FC will face Punjab FC as the Islanders aim to go above the visitors in this crucial fixture of the Indian Super League here on Tuesday.
Punjab FC have cruised to four victories from seven games to accumulate 12 points and be at the fifth spot in the standings, whereas Mumbai City FC are ninth in the table with 10 points to their name. The gap among teams is so narrow at this point that a victory here can propel the Petr Kratky-coached team above Punjab FC and bring them straight back into the reckoning for the top-six.
While it's also too early into the campaign to discuss point table scenarios, it also serves as a reminder to put the focus on the process. At this moment, both Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC have taken ample learning from their outings thus far and would want to fix that to get their units functioning both cohesively and consistently moving forward.
The overall playing strategy of Mumbai City FC has been consistent of late and that involves building pressure onto the opponents through their passing sequences. They average 329.9 successful passes this season, which is the highest amongst all teams, and their completion rate of 81.2% is also the highest in the league.
The Islanders won both their matches against Punjab FC last season, which was also the first campaign in the competition for the latter. Among all teams, Punjab FC have allowed the fewest touches (102) inside their box. They have also permitted only 36 shot attempts from within their 18-yard area.
Punjab FC have been at the receiving end of defeats in each of their last two matches in the ISL. If they fail to take any point from this game, it will mark their outright longest losing streak in the competition, something they will want to snap in this coming clash.
