Bengaluru FC Team News
Captain Sunil Chhetri, who was instrumental against Goa with two brilliant goals, will once again be the key man for Bengaluru. The Indian international has scored seven goals already this season and has been a saving grace for Bengaluru's attack which has scored just 13 goals so far.
Cuadrat will be worried with the poor run of form his wingers Udanta Singh and Ashique Kuruniyan are going through but will hope new recruit Deshorn Brown is able to make an immediate impact.
"Sunil Chhetri is our top scorer but we are creating chances, but other players should also score. All the attacking players are working hard to score. I am sure they will help us during the next matches. We play in a good way and we create a lot of chances," said Bengaluru goalkeeping coach Javier Pinillos.
Another factor going for Bengaluru is their water-tight defence which has shipped just seven goals this season. It will be a huge ask of Jamshedpur FC, who are without their star striker Sergio Castel, to breach the Blues' backline.
"Jamshedpur FC have shown this season that they play very good football and that they are a very good side. We have to be careful of them and prepare well. We cannot be overconfident," said Pinillos.
Jamshedpur FC Team News
Jamshedpur, who are desperate for a win, need to show a lot more application and resolve than what they have shown so far. Antonio Iriondo's side have missed Sergio Castel and Piti, without whom, the team has looked different.
The form of Farukh Chowdhury and Aniket Jadhav has tapered off as well, all of which have led to a poor run of form for the Men of Steel that has seen them pick only three points from the last five games.
"Every match is different, you have to create chances and then finish the chances. Without Sergio Castel, we are creating chances, but we are not able to finish those chances. Obviously, his absence is worrying. He is still not fit to play. Hopefully, he will be able to play from the next match," said Iriondo.
Defensive lapses have not helped them either. They've shipped in six goals in the last three games with individual errors at the back scuppering Iriondo's plans. They have to be vigilant throughout on Thursday, given Bengaluru often force the issue in the second half.
Iriondo will hope the return of Noe Acosta from injury will help his team.
"We are facing Bengaluru. I love to play against great teams. It is a very good chance for me to look at how the team has been improving. We have been improving in the game, but we are not getting the goals due to Sergio's injury," Iriondo said.
Prediction:
Bengaluru FC will head into the match as strong favourites and visitors Jamshedpur FC will have to put their best foot forward if they are to defy the Blues at home. Carles Cuadrat's boys are heading into the match on the back of a morale-boosting win over FC Goa, and they will look to secure a comfortable win in front of their home crowd.
Head-to-Head
In the head-to-head count the scales are slightly tilted in favour of Jamshedpur as they have won on two occasions in their previous five outings, while Bengaluru have won just once. The two sides have played out two draws.
Probable Line-ups:
Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Albert Serran, Juanan, Harmanjot Khabra, Nishu Kumar, Erik Paartalu, Raphael Augusto, Dimas Delgado, Sunil Chhetri, Ashique Kuruniyan, Udanta Singh
Jamshedpur FC: Subrata Paul (GK), Tiri, Narender Gahlot, Robin Gurung, Noe Acosta, Aitor Monroy, Memo Moura, Isaac Vanmalsawma, CK Vineeth, David Grande, Farukh Choudhary
Match Info:
Match kicks off at 7:30pm IST
Live on Star Sports Network
Live Streaming on Hotstar & Jio TV
Source: ISL Media