ISL Match Preview: Hyderabad FC to take on Jamshedpur FC in top of the table clash

An enthralling contest awaits as Hyderabad FC and Jamshedpur FC as both top-placed teams fight it out for the coveted Hero ISL League Winners’ Shield as well as the ISL title during their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 match at the Athletic Stadium, Bambolim, Goa on Tuesday.

Hyderabad FC earned a hard-fought 2-1 win against a rugged Kerala Blasters FC side and confirmed their semi-final qualification, with two matches in hand, a feat never achieved before in the history of the club.

Meanwhile, Jamshedpur FC edged past NorthEast United FC in their previous match to register their 10th win of the season and are now a foot closer to a top-four finish. The Men of Steel have the perfect opportunity to seal the deal and script their best-ever outing in the Hero ISL.

Form Guide

Hyderabad FC: WLWWW

The Manuel Marquez-coached side have won four and lost once in their last five matches this season. Their only loss was against ATK Mohun Bagan a few weeks back. Hyderabad FC is currently at the pole position with 35 points from 18 points, with 10 wins and five draws.

Jamshedpur FC: LWWWW

The Men of Steel have lost one and won four matches in their last five, and are now enjoying a four-match winning streak. Currently placed at the second spot with 34 points from 17 matches, a win over Hyderabad FC will help them leapfrog to the top position in the league table.

Head-To-Head

Four of the five encounters between Hyderabad FC and Jamshedpur FC have been drawn. All four draws have come in the last four matches between the two sides. The only win in this fixture came back in the 2019-20 season in a 3-1 win for Jamshedpur FC.

Team News

Jamshedpur FC

Greg Stewart is suspended from the match. Defender Peter Hartley is also ruled out with injury. Among the Indian players, Boris and Jitendra Singh will be out due to injuries. Farukh Chouhdary and Komal Thatal are long-term absentees.

Key Players

Bartholomew Ogbeche

With 18 goal contributions in 17 matches, Bartholomew Ogbeche has taken his game a notch above in the current season. Having already guided Hyderabad FC to their first-ever top-four finish, the prolific scorer would be aiming to help his side finish at the top. It was through Ogbeche’s strike that they squeezed out a point in the last match between these two teams, earlier this season.

Nikhil Poojary

The right-winger might have been overshadowed by the presence of the foreign contingent, but Poojary has been a silent warrior for the Hyderabad-based outfit. Apart from scoring once and assisting twice, he has taken 14 shots on goal and produced 43 crosses. The footballer has been faring well in defensive duties as well, with 33 tackles, eight interceptions, five clearances, and 26 blocks.

Jamshedpur FC

Daniel Chukwu

The striker has been phenomenal since joining Jamshedpur FC, having scored four goals and providing an assist in the six matches played so far. Chukwu contributed to at least one goal in five of the above-mentioned matches. He has taken 33 shots so far and will play a key role in Jamshedpur FC’s bid to claim the ISL League Winners’ Shield.

Ritwik Das

The youngster might not be a very influential player in the squad, but he’s shown sparks of brilliance in the past few matches. In the last three matches, Ritwik has scored twice and assisted once. However, the remarkable fact still remains the number of shots taken – 15, along with 10 crosses to his name. We are expecting to see a lot more from this footballer in the upcoming matches.

Key Stats

Record in the offing for Bartholomew Ogbeche

Netting 17 times this season, Ogbeche is just a goal short of Ferran Corominas’ record of most goals scored in a single Hero ISL season (18). The Nigerian forward has demonstrated himself to be a great finisher. For players who have scored five goals or more, no player has a greater conversion rate than Bartholomew Ogbeche.

A Point short of qualification

Jamshedpur FC have one foot in the door with regards to qualifying for the top four. While they are likely to qualify for the semi-finals, they still need one point to guarantee qualification for the semi-finals at the moment. A win or draw will see Jamshedpur qualify for the Hero ISL semi-finals for the first time in their history.

Match timings and telecast details

Match: Hyderabad FC vs Jamshedpur FC

Date: March 1, 2022

Venue: Athletic Stadium, Panaji, Goa

Kick-off time: 7.30 pm IST

Telecast: Star Sports Network

Online Streaming: Disney+Hotstar and JioTV.