At bottom of table, Mumbai, Pune clash for redemption (ISL preview)

Languishing at the bottom of the Indian Super League (ISL) table, FC Pune City and Mumbai City FC take on each other at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here Wednesday, hoping to boost an outside chance for a berth in the semi-finals.

In their last encounter, host Mumbai, led by their hat-trick hero Brazilian Andre Moritz, trampled Pune 5-0.

With three wins from 11 matches Pune are ranked seventh in the table while Mumbai also with three wins from 11 games, are at the bottom of the points table.

Pune will look to the duo of their Greek captain Kostas Katsouranis and Nigerian striker Dudu Omagbemi for redemption while Mumbai would seek inspiration from the likes of Czech medio Jan Stohanzl and star striker Frenchman Nicolas Anelka who so far has scored a couple of goals from four games.

Found lacking in precision in passes, Mumbai would find it difficult to crack open the hosts' defence led by the Italian combo of Bruno Cirillo and Danielle Magliocchetti.

On the other side, Mumbai's defence has been torn open way too often in the tournament, conceding as many as 17 goals from 11 matches, the highest in the tournament.

Mumbai's custodian Subrata Paul, who, according to ISL statistics has conceded a goal every 58 minutes in the tournament, will have to be on his toes if the team hopes to make a mark.

One has to wait and see if Mumbai City's chief coach Englishman Peter Reid has a trick or two up his sleeve or if the Dutch coach Franco Colombo has the last laugh. It may be a clash of two teams at the bottom but it would not be short on pace or excitement.