ISL 2023-24: Defensively compact Mumbai City looks to topple FC Goa at Fatorda

Attack won it games. Defence almost gave it the title. Unscathed by a mid-season managerial change and injury woes, Mumbai City FC showed signs of a prepotent unit, able to adjust to adversity. 

But football, despite being the ‘beautiful game,’ can hurt. And for Mumbai, it was a painful script where the Islanders dominated only to trip at the final hurdle. The Islanders reached their highest-ever points tally in ISL history (47) but failed to defend their league shield after a 1-2 loss against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the deciding clash.

PREVIEW – MUMBAI CITY VS FC GOA 

“It was heartbreaking for us. We had a change in our head coach (Petr Kratky replacing Des Buckingham) our key players got injured, and we lost important players (Greg Stewart and Rostyn Griffiths). Still, we fought till the end and lost the league by just a point,” told Mumbai goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa to  Sportstar.

“We executed our game plan well but missed our chances. We need to keep learning and move forward because time does not wait for anyone,” adds Lachenpa when asked if the team could have done anything different against the Mariners. 

Next stop – the semifinals

After failing to defend the Shield, Mumbai can cap off the season with silverware by winning the ISL cup. Its immediate target is to oust FC Goa over a two-legged semifinal.

What makes the fixture such a delectable prospect is how well-balanced both teams are. Mumbai has scored 42 goals compared to Goa’s 39. In defence, both Kratky and Gaur’s head coach Manolo Marquez have done a terrific job shaping their backline. While the Islanders enjoy the best defensive record, conceding just 19 goals till now, Goa has let in 21. 

While both teams possess lethal attackers, a battle to look out for in midfield is between MCFC’s Yoell van Nieff and FCG’s Carl McHugh. Both the defensive midfielders have a similar profile on the pitch, where they act as the bridge between defence and offence. While McHugh is an experienced campaigner in Indian football, it is early days for Van Nieff. 

Asked if he would devote extra attention to thwart McHugh’s effect on the match, Van Nieff told  Sportstar – “Of course, he [McHugh] is a good player, but I don’t like to mention or point out anyone. I am focusing more on what we need to do and analyse Goa as a whole.”

Both teams could not be separated when they faced each other in the league phase, with the first contest finishing 0-0 and the second, 1-1. 

From Buckingham to Kratky – Mumbai’s defensive masterclass

Under Buckingham’s reign, Mumbai became known for being miserly in defence. Last season, the Islanders conceded just 21 en route to its League Shield win. Kratky has kept that trend alive by maintaining Mumbai’s defensive compactness.

“Petr demands a lot from us. His work rate and pressing style are very different from Des. Still, our main gameplay relies on having a lot of possession. Next season, if things are stable, I can see success,” said Lachenpa. 

Mumbai’s well-oiled defence is an advantage heading into its semifinal first-leg clash against FC Goa – a team which has also been lauded for its defensive work this season.

MCFC has the lowest PPDA (Passes per defensive action) in the league (8.3), which indicates Mumbai’s coordinated counter-press, which limits opposition’s time to build up play.

PPDA of ISL teams this season

“We defend as a team. It is not only the backline and the goalkeeper. Normally, when we are defending, the striker is the first defender. All the credit goes to the defence and also Phurba. The guys at the back have done a good job. Mehtab [Singh], for example, was a centre-back, but now he is playing at right-back. Rahul [Bheke] is playing a big role as well

“Tiri is having a good season. Akash too, has done an excellent job for us in the left wingback position. He is not only in defence but also in attack,” said Van Nieff when asked about his team’s formula towards being an excellent defensive outfit. 

Another metric to ascertain Mumbai’s defensive dominance is that its players have been dribbled past 4.78 times on an average per 90 minutes – the lowest in the league. 

In terms of goals conceded, the Islanders have let in an average of 0.83 goals per match – again the lowest in the league, which reflects the team’s willingness to defend as a unit. Goa closely follows Mumbai with an average of 0.89. 

Average goals conceded per match

That being said, statistics are never absolute in football. The beauty of knockout football lies in its unpredictability. Mumbai City will start its semifinal clash against FC Goa as the stronger team on paper and as slight favourites, but backed by home fans inside the Fatorda stadium, the Gaurs can surely dig their horns deep and hurt the Islanders.