ISL 2024-25: Chennaiyin FC guns for first home win of season as East Bengal visits
ISL 2024-25: Chennaiyin FC guns for first home win of season as East Bengal visits
After two consecutive losses on the road, Chennaiyin FC returns home as it gears up to face East Bengal in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.
Despite its heavy spending in the summer window, East Bengal had a lacklustre start to the season, which sees the Red and Gold Brigade at the bottom of the table. However, under the guidance of new coach Oscar Bruzon, East Bengal has finally got off the mark, securing its first win of the season in a 1-0 victory against NorthEast United FC.
With East Bengal visibly high on morale, evidenced by the team’s passionate celebrations in front of its home fans after beating NorthEast, Chennaiyin head coach Owen Coyle knows his team will face a tough challenge.
“It does not change much from our perspective. We are glad to be back home. We all know about how much money East Bengal spent. We are under no illusion that they are a good side, as we saw against NorthEast. They have already shown that by qualifying for the AFC Cup, which is a big thing for Indian football,” Coyle told reporters ahead of the match.
Despite losing 1-0 against Mohun Bagan in the last match, Coyle is unlikely to tinker too much with his starting 11, which showed positive signs against the defending ISL Shield Champion.
Opting for a 4-1-4-1 shape, Mohammad Nawaz should start between the sticks with Mandar Rao Dessai, Ryan Edwards, Bikash Yumnam and P. C. Laldinpuia making the back four. Elsinho will play as the lone defensive midfielder.
In-form Irrfan Yadwad and Farukh Choudhary will occupy the left and right flanks, respectively, while the versatile Connor Shields and Lalrinliana Hnamte will be the two central midfielders. Wilmar Jordan Gil will likely operate as the lone forward in the No. 9 role.
For East Bengal boss Oscar Bruzon, continuing the winning run takes precedence over everything, but said weather conditions might play a crucial role in the match.
“The difference in levels of humidity [between Kolkata and Chennai] can have an impact on the match, but I don’t think the win will depend on which team is home and which team is away,” said Bruzon ahead of the clash.
The Spaniard will have to cope without centre-back Lalchungnunga, who was sent off against NorthEast, which could see Nishu Kumar come back into the starting lineup. With Prabhsukhan Gill guarding the goal, Kumar can make up the back four along with the familiar faces of Mohammad Rakip, Anwar Ali and Hector Yuste.
The Red and Gold will bank on their midfield consisting of the likes of Jeakson Singh and Saul Crespo, with the former undertaking a more defensive role in the setup. With Souvik Chakrabarti hoping to bother the Chennaiyin backline with his dogged pressing, Coyle’s men will need to be wary of Madih Talal, who will be the chief creator of the Red and Gold. Finishing the forward line would be Greek forward Dimitrios Diamantakos, who scored the matchwinner against the Highlanders.
It is a well-balanced clash, considering East Bengal has scored the joint-fewest goals (five) this season in the ISL, along with Mohammedan SC, while Chennaiyin has kept just one clean sheet in its 10 games.
Coyle will be hopeful for his team’s first home win this season and will be buoyed by the fact that East Bengal has never beaten Chennaiyin at the Nehru Stadium in ISL history.
