With the threat of relegation looming large, bottom-of-the-table Mumbai FC will lock horns with Shillong Lajong FC in a penultimate round I-League match at the Cooperage ground here tomorrow.
With two games remaining, the Mumbai club has a tally of 13 points from 14 matches in the 9-team league and would be keen to pick up all the three points to lift themselves away from the danger zone.
Shillong, on seventh place with 15 points, would also be gunning for a positive result to make their position safe.
The hosts have gone without a win since their success against Bengaluru FC in January.
Mumbai coach Khalid Jamil described his team's situation as a make-or-break one.
"We are ready for this match. This is our last chance to survive the drop, we have to consider this game as a do-or-die situation," Jasmil said at the pre-match media briefing today.
"The 2-2 away draw against East Bengal in the last round was a good result for us and that would give us the confidence to produce another positive performance. Considering that we have done well in the home matches I am expecting good contest and hope things work in our favour," he said.
However, Jamil noted that the North-Eastern outfit was quite a tough opponent and he had not forgotten the result of the last meeting between the two teams on this ground which the visitors won 6-0, last season.
"I have full respect for the visiting team and it's not going to be an easy match. We can't take them lightly as they will punish you, as they did last year," Jamil added.
Shillong Lajong coach T Singto said it was a crucial game for his team too. "We have not performed as per our expectations and tomorrow is another tough challenge. Mumbai FC is a tough, compact team that has some good individual players and I expect a strong match," said Singto.
Except for central defender Pratik Chowdhary, coach Jamil has the option of picking his best starting eleven.
The visitors have travelled to Mumbai without their key Brazilian striker Uilliam Souza Silva who is serving a suspension after being red-carded in the last game against Sporting Clube de Goa which they lost 2-5 last Sunday.
