The Islanders gained a point off their first game of 2018 in an end-to-end affair away to ISL debutants Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. Alexandre Guimaraes’ men put up a spirited show featuring a brace from Thiago Santos on the either side of two goals from Jamshedpur FC’s Izu Azuka.

The fans will be hoping for all three points at the Mumbai Football Arena, as Mumbai City FC welcome Kerala Blasters FC for our first home game of the year. The Islanders, currently in 5th place, will be looking for a positive result to put more pressure on the teams battling for the playoff spots.

Kerala Blasters FC will be buzzing with confidence following a resounding 3-1 away victory over Delhi Dynamos FC which saw Iain Hume scoring his first hat-trick, and his first goals, of the season. Newly-appointed head coach David James got his first victory of the campaign after the Englishman took over from Rene Meulensteen.

Where to watch it:

The game will kick off at 8pm IST and will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, Hotstar and Jio TV for all viewers in India. For our global fans, you can find your broadcaster here. You can also follow live action on our official Twitter account - @MumbaiCityFC.

Team News:

Sehnaj Singh will miss out on the action tomorrow, completing his two-match ban following the red card against Delhi Dynamos. Defender Raju Gaikwad will face a late fitness test after he pulled his hamstring against Jamshedpur FC.

The Kerala Blasters’ attack will be boosted by the return of CK Vineeth who trained ahead of the game. Dimitar Berbatov and Pritam Kumar will miss out due to injuries.

History:

Mumbai City FC will be looking forward to a second successive home victory against Kerala Blasters FC. Last season saw the Islanders thrashing them 5-0 with then Marquee player and club icon, Diego Forlan scoring a fantastic hat-trick!

The two teams drew 1-1 earlier this season when they played on December 3, 2017 when Balwant Singh scored a late equalizer after Mark Sifneos had put the Blasters ahead.

Overall, Mumbai City FC edge the Blasters head to head with 2 wins to 1 and drawing on 4 occasions.

League Watch:

It was a mixed week for NorthEast United FC – after losing four games on the trot, the Highlanders snatched a surprise 2-1 win over high-flying FC Goa. They couldn’t keep the winning momentum going as they succumbed to a home loss against a rejuvenated ATK side.

The Kolkata side, too, couldn’t keep up the winning form, losing 1-0 to current table toppers Bengaluru FC. After a dismal start to the season, ATK now find themselves 6th on the points table. Following their loss against NorthEast United, FC Goa returned to winning ways in debatable circumstances against Jamshedpur FC and now sit in 4th place.

Delhi Dynamos snatched a point with a late equalizer against second-placed Chennaiyin FC. It was a welcome boost for Miguel Angel Portugal’s men after six straight losses. They too faltered in their following game after going down 3-1 to Kerala Blasters at home, courtesy of an Iain Hume hat-trick.

The other fixtures of the week are:

Saturday, 13th January

Chennaiyin FC vs FC Pune City (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, 8pm)

Sunday, 14th January

Delhi Dynamos FC vs Bengaluru FC (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, 5.30pm)