Jamshedpur FC have a chance to return to the top of the Indian Super League (ISL) table when they take on Bengaluru FC at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Saturday. Coming off a 2-0 win over FC Goa, Owen Coyle’s men will be high on confidence ahead of their penultimate league match.The Men of Steel are currently second with 21 points from 11 matches, level with leaders East Bengal, who have played one game fewer.However, it’s Mohun Bagan SG, third with 20 points from nine games, who remain firmly in contention in what is shaping up to be a tight title race. Despite that Jamshedpur will look to secure their seventh win and stay in the hunt for a second ISL title.“What we want to do is continue the momentum and that means another tough game against Bengaluru. But it’s one we’re looking forward to. It’s an opportunity,” said head coach Owen Coyle on Friday. “We want to finish the season as strongly as possible. And that means winning first and foremost against Bengaluru, and then Odisha will take care of itself.”For that to happen, Coyle will want more from his forwards, whose output has been inconsistent this season. The defence, too, will look to step up, with Pratik Chaudhari crediting the coach for bringing a positive change.“We had the same squad, the same players. But that missing magic was the coach. Once he came in, there was a very positive environment in the squad and a spark of competitiveness,” Pratik said of Coyle, who led them to their only Shield victory in 2021-22.Meanwhile, Bengaluru FC, seventh with 17 points from 11 matches, will aim to finish the league on a high.Having drawn their last outing and struggled for wins under new coach Pep Munoz, the Blues enter the match on a run of winless games and will look to build on gradual improvements.“The team is progressing well, in what we want to do on the pitch: possession, finding spaces, being patient; it is a process. Before I arrived, they trained in a different style; now the progression is there, and guys are playing with more intention,” Munoz said.It may be too late for Bengaluru to re-enter the title race, but they can still play spoilsport for the hosts.
