After draws in their first games post the international break, ATK and Mumbai City FC face off on Saturday at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, as the 2019-20 Indian Super League season picks up steam, and the table begins to take shape for the season.
It has been a landmark week for Mumbai City, with the City Football Group acquiring a majority stake in the club. However, the results on the pitch need to change and change soon for Jorge Costa's men, who have picked up only two points in four games, after their opening game victory in Kerala.
ATK, on the other hand, are undefeated since losing on opening day in Kerala. Their last game was a 0-0 draw against Odisha FC, in which they were maybe a little lucky to come away with a point against a spirited Odisha side.
But back in home comforts, ATK will be looking to enjoy themselves again. They have scored eight goals in their two home games so far, and against a Mumbai side that has shipped goals rather freely, with 10 conceded in their last three games, the likes of Roy Krishna and David Williams will fancy themselves.
ATK v Mumbai City FC: Match information
Date: 30th November 2019
Kickoff: 7:30 PM IST
Live Stream: Star Sports Network and Hotstar
Venue: Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
ATK v Mumbai City FC: Team news
Antonio Habas has not tinkered with his system, and the majority of his players throughout the season. The 3-4-2-1 system has worked well for Habas and ATK, but there could be a change in personnel, with Edu Garcia doing everything he can to demand a starting spot from his manager.
If Habas does decide to stick Garcia in the starting XI, the most likely scenario is for Javi Hernandez to drop to the bench. Pronay Halder is also expected to be missing, with the injury he picked up on national duty, that had kept him out of the Odisha game as well.
Mumbai, on the other hand, are just getting back some of their big guns after injuries, and the likes of Modou Sougou and Paulo Machado will look to kickstart their seasons, with strong performances in Kolkata. Sougou scored a hat-trick at the Salt Lake Stadium last year, so he will carry happy memories into this game.
ATK v Mumbai City FC: Probable lineups
ATK: Arindam Bhattacharja, Pritam Kotal, Agus Garcia, Anas Edathodika, Prabir Das, Michael Soosairaj, Jayesh Rane, Carl McHugh, Edu Garcia, David Williams, Roy Krishna
Mumbai City FC: Amrinder Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Sarthak Golui, Pratik Chaudhuri, Subhasish Bose, Rowllin Borges, Paulo Machado, Mohammed Larbi, Diego Carlos, Modou Sougou, Amine Chermiti,
ATK v Mumbai City FC: ISL form guide
ATK: D-W-W-W-L
Mumbai City FC: D-L-L-D-W
ATK v Mumbai City FC head-to-head
The two sides have faced each other 12 times in past ISL seasons, and there is little to separate them, although Mumbai lead the win count by one, against their rivals from Kolkata.
Mumbai are also unbeaten against ATK in the last three games, with last season seeing a 0-0 draw in Mumbai followed by a 3-1 Mumbai City win in Kolkata.
ATK wins - 4
Mumbai City FC - 5
Draws - 3
ATK v Mumbai City FC prediction
With Mumbai still struggling to find a combination that gives them goals and ensures they are strong at the back, Jorge Costa has some dilemmas waiting for him with his selection.
ATK on the other hand, are a settled outfit, they have confident goal-scorers and they have enjoyed playing at the Salt Lake this season. So, if you were a betting man, it would be a wise choice to put your money on ATK.
Prediction: ATK 2-1 Mumbai