Ahmedabad, May 11 (IANS): Having slipped to fourth place in the Group A table, Mumbai Knights FC face an uphill task against the defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC in their final group match of the Indian Women's Football League (IWL) 2023.

Mumbai Knights suffered a 2-0 against HOPS FC in their previous match and their loss coupled with other results meant they slipped to 4th in the Group A table with 10 points from five matches.

Mumbai Knights made an impressive start to their IWL 2023 campaign with back-to-back 1-0 wins against Kahaani FC and Mata Rukmani FC. They drew 0-0 against Misaka United FC and then suffered a 4-2 loss against East Bengal FC. Then came an impressive victory against Sports Odisha where they came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1.

With Sports Odisha winning 2-1 against East Bengal FC and HOPS FC also winning 2-0 against Mumbai Knights, the side from Maharashtra now find themselves fourth in the table. HOPS FC are 2nd and Sports Odisha are 3rd with 12 points each.

Meanwhile, East Bengal FC sit fifth in the table with 10 points and Misaka United FC are sixth with 9 points. Going into the final match day, 5 teams are in with a chance to qualify in the remaining three spots.

Mumbai Knights head coach Rutuja Gunwant has tried different formations and has rotated the squad on all six occasions. It will be crucial to get the starting XI right in their final Group A match as it will be a true test of their character against the defending champions.

A back five of Pranita, Ritu, Afreen, VK Srutilakshmi and Mansi can be a solid defense going into this match. A well-balanced midfield of Karen, Velanie and Sushmita and a front two of Karishma and Priyanka could be the ideal starting XI. Bhumika Mane is also a good option in attack.