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Chennaiyin FC play their third straight home game as they entertain NorthEast United FC on Saturday. This is a crucial game for Chennai as their next two games are away fixtures against FC Pune City and Atletico de Kolkata. As striker Jeje Lalpekhlua said after the draw against Atletico de Kolkata, this is a big game for Chennai that they have to win. Chennai will be in buoyant mood after their thrashing of Mumbai and Elano’s last minute penalty helped them secure a point against Kolkata.
The same cannot be said of NorthEast though, as they come into the game on the back of a draw against the Delhi Dynamos and a loss to a late goal against Pune. Manager Ricki Herbert said that although any loss dampens squad morale, his squad were in good spirits and were looking to go back to Guwahati taking full points against a strong Chennai side.
Venue and Kickoff
This is the only game in Chennai that is being played on a weekend, and as expected, the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium has been sold out. The arena has been a cauldron of noise through the three matches Chennai have played here, and it is expected to be no different as the Highlanders come to town. There is expected to be considerable support for NorthEast as well.
Kickoff Time – 7pm IST
Probable Lineups
Chennaiyin FC: Gennaro Bracigliano, Gouramangi Singh, Bernard Mendy, Mikael Silvestre, Dhanachandra SIngh, Bojan Djordjic, Harmanjot Khabra, Denson Devadas, Elano Blumer, John Stiven Mendoza, Jeje Lalpekhlua
Assistant Coach Vivek Nagul hinted that there might be changes made to Chennai’s midfield. It is unlikely that Marco Materazzi will start his third game in a row. Club captain Bojan Djordjic is likely to take Materazzi’s place as the midfield anchor. Nagul also said that Chennai were not willing to tinker too much with their defence, which means that the French duo of Bernard Mendy and Mikael Silvestre will remain at the heart of the Chennai rearguard.
Defenders Abhishek Das and Jairo Suarez remain ruled out and it could take at least a week more for the full backs to return to action. Goalkeeper Shilton Paul is suspended after he picked up a red card in the last game against Kolkata.
Striker Jean Eudes Maurice was taken off early to accomodate the substitute goalkeeper in the previous game, and it is unlikely that the Haitian will start this game, as the selection of Gennaro Bracigliano in goal would mean that the foreigners’ quota would be filled. Eric Djemba Djemba has also joined the Chennai team, but Nagul hinted that it might be too early to put the former Manchester United man straight into the action.
NorthEast United: Alex Tzorvas, Aiborlang Khongjee, Miguel Garcia, Joan Capdevila, Robin Gurung, Kondwani Mtonga, Milan Singh, Koke, Do Dong-hyun, Boithang Haokip, Durga Boro
Coach Ricki Herbert praised the strong performances of 21-year-old goalkeeper Rehenesh, but also hinted that he might not be starting the game as they had a class international goalkeeper in Alex Tzorvas. Milan Singh and Kondwani Mtonga will anchor the midfield behind Koke, who has been instrumental in whatever NorthEast have come up with in an attacking sense.
At the heart of defence, Miguel Garcia and Joan Capdevila have formed a formidable partnership while the full backs Aiborlang Khongjee and Robin Gurung have been full of energy. Koke with his passing ability, will look to find the pace of Do Dong-hyun and Durga Boro while Boithang Haokip is expected to man the right flank.
Key Battles
Elano Blumer vs Kondwani Mtonga
The Brazilian marquee player Elano has been in sizzling form for Chennai. He has scored at least once in all of Chennai’s games so far, and has been deadly from set pieces. Kondwani is a strong player in midfield for NorthEast and he cannot afford to concede fouls in what can be called as Elano territory now, given the Brazilian's potency from free kicks anywhere up to 30 yards from goal.
John Mendoza vs Aiborlang Khongjee
Colombian Mendoza is expected to start on the left flank for Chennai, and stopping him will be Khongjee’s resposibility. NorthEast have the best defensive record in the league, and if they are to continue their impressive defensive showing, it is imperative that they stop Mendoza, whose pace and trickery can be an absolute nightmare for a defender to handle.
Prediction
It is a game billed as Chennai’s attacking prowess against NorthEast’s solid defense. With Chennai having home advantage, they should be able to get the win.
Chennaiyin 2-0 NorthEast United
