English manager Steve Coppell makes a comeback to his old ground when his side ATK takes on Jamshedpur FC on Sunday evening.
ATK, determined to keep the momentum going after a triumph against Delhi Dynamos, will have to do some 'big work' to get over the 'Men of Steel'. Jamshedpur too wouldn't want to disappoint their supportive fans with a defeat in their very first home game of the season.
Jamshedpur FC have made a decent start to their season with a win and draw already under their head. Cesar Ferrando and boys won their first match against Mumbai City, a solid performance from all the departments. In their second match, they held on to Bengaluru FC at 2-2, equalizing from behind after conceding twice. They currently have 4 points from the 2 matches.
ATK have entered the right path after facing two straight loses. They lost their two matches against Kerala Blasters (0-2) and NorthEast United (0-1) before registering a victory against Delhi Dynamos at Delhi. They hold 3 points from the 3 matches and a win would be crucial for the club at this stage.
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Match Information
Date: 21 October
Kickoff: 7:30 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Channels and hotstar.com
Venue: JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Team News
Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur would be missing Dhanachandra Singh in the defence once again, due to his injury. The club's first choice keeper Subrata Paul would be out in this match too, following the suspension from the brawl in the Super Cup. Otherwise, Cesar Ferrando does not have any concerns and would be pleased to field an unchanged first XI.
ATK
The Kolkata franchise has not had a pleasant start to the season, which extends to the team sheet. Prabir Das, Arnab Mondal and Andre Bikey are all out injured. Steve Coppell would lack depth in the defence due to their absence. Sena Ralte is expected to make a come back to the lineup after serving the ban from a red card. Steve Coppell might not experiment any other changes other than this.
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Probable Line-ups
Jamshedpur FC (4-2-3-1): Roy, Raju, Gaikwad, Tiri, Jairu, Arques, Memo, Jerry, Soosairaj, Cidoncha, Cahill
ATK (4-2-3-1): Bhattacharya, Khongjee, Vieira, Johnson, Ralte, Halder, Thatal, Lanzarote, Santos, Balwant, Uche
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Form Guide
Last 5 matches
Jamshedpur FC: D-W-L-D-L
ATK: W-L-L-L-L
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Head-to-Head
Jamshedpur FC: 1
ATK: 0
Draws: 1
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Key Players
Jamshedpur FC
Jamshedpur FC have a star attraction in their lineup in the form of Tim Cahill. While Cahill does provide the experience for JFC, Sergio Cidoncha might become handier on the field. He will be put behind the striker or on any wings. This lets Cidoncha exploit the wings and be at the finishing end, both crucial points for Jamshedpur.
ATK
ATK will have high hopes on their forward Kalu Uche for an away win. The Nigerian forward has already opened the account for ATK, but the coach would want to improve it as numerous balls will be delivered to him beating the defenders. With the presence of Lanzarote, Santos and Balwant all offering support, Uche will be pressurized to perform.
Jamshedpur FC vs ATK: Predictions
Though Jamshedpur hold a higher position on the table, there are chances of ATK putting up a good fight. Since Steve Coppell is familiar with the ground conditions and is currently getting his moves right, ATK might register their second consecutive win.
Predicted Score - Jamshedpur 0-2 ATK