21/10/2015 - Mumbai City FC vs Delhi Dynamos FC

The numbers clearly show Delhi with the upper hand here. The Roberto Carlos-led team did not look back after the first defeat to Kerala. They won 3 successive games by 1 goal margins and currently sit at the second spot on the points table. They are in good form, and their defence especially is particularly instrumental in grinding out those 3 pointers. Mumbai City on the other hand are going through a tough patch. After 3 matches they have only 1 draw to show for. They were dominated by Chennaiyin FC and Pune City at home and on the road. And the team's internal chemistry seems to have taken a hit. Player-manager Nicolas Anelka recently had a fallout with one of his most trusted midfielders, Andre Moritz. And Moritz replied by abruptly quitting the franchise in the middle of the ISL. The situation indicates unrest in the dressing room and Anelka having trouble trying to control it. It also leaves them especially vulnerable in the midfield, where they lack experience and durability at the moment. At the same time, they are boosted by the players back from national duty; Mumbai are finally close to having something akin to a full strength squad. And this is a pivotal game for them. They will go the extra mile to ensure the home crowd does not see them behave like a bottom-table team. Squeezing out a draw is the least Mumbai should be doing for the diehard fans, and we see them achieving it.