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With three wins on the trot, John Gregory's men will go all guns blazing against Dhaka Abahani in their next AFC Cup game on Wednesday in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Chennaiyin FC are a changed side since their disappointing the Indian Super League 2018-19 campaign. Their only loss in more than a month was to FC Goa in the Super Cup Final. Since then, they have been easing past sides in Asia where they have tamed teams like Manang Marshyangshdi and Dhaka Abahani.
John Gregory's contract extension till the end of the 2019-20 season will come up as a major boost to his commitment to the club and he will ever determined to get Chennaiyin over the line in the Group E and take the side into the knock-outs.
Dhaka Abahani also have been notching up wins in the AFC Cup but fell short to Chennaiyin FC in their previous game. Both teams are enjoying good form and results. A win for either of the teams put them into a very favourable position, making the game extremely important.
Chennaiyin FC vs Abahani Dhaka: Match Information
Date: 15 May 2019
Kickoff: 6.30 PM IST
Live Stream: No official stream/telecast in India. Third party streams during the game will be available.
Venue: Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
Team News
Raphael Augusto may return to the side after he missed the previous few games due to his Knee Injury.
Probable Lineup
Karanjeet Singh, Renthlei, Mailson Alves, Eli Sabia, Tondonba Singh, Christ Herd, Thoi Singh, Raphael Augusto, Holicharan Narzary, CK Vineeth, Jeje Lalpekhlua
Form Guide
Chennaiyin FC (W-W-L-W-W): After a disastrous ISL Campaign, Chennaiyin have bounced back and how! Finishing runners up in the Super Cup and now sitting atop the AFC Cup Table, the Marina Machans are in some fine form. They have won their last two AFC Cup outings and look favourites to qualify from Group E. Chennaiyin got the better of Abahani by 1-0 in their previous meeting in Ahmedabad.
Key Players
The presence of Dhanpal Ganesh and Christopher Herd will be key as usual for John Gregory's side. Given, the lack of confirmation regarding Augusto's return to the side, the onus will be on the midfield duo to create chances for the strikers upfront and also allow the defenders at the back some leeway to come down the pitch to deliver in crosses from the flanks.
Opponent Watch
Abahani Dhaka were unbeaten in 5 straight games, including both the AFC Cup and the Bangladesh Premier League until they faced Chennaiyin FC in their previous AFC Cup games.
Former Jamshedpur and Kerala Blasters marksman Kervens Belfort, Aizawl FC defender Masih Saighani, Former NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC winger Wellington Priori all have played against Chennaiyin FC previously in India and will play key roles to contain the ISL 2017-18 Champions.
Dhaka Abahani are a tough nut to crack given their recent form. They are hardly dropping points in their League, sitting second behind Bashundhara Kings with a gap of just four points.
Predictions
Chennaiyin FC should manage a win over the Dhaka based side. Abahani does have the goods to defeat the Indian side but given Chennaiyin's recent form, they should emerge the victorious side on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin's win over Abahani in their previous meeting will provide ample amount of belief to the Blues in coming top of Abahani yet again. A win for Chennaiyin seems highly likely which will almost propel the Indian side into the next stage of the competition. However, a win for Abahani can make the Group E race very interesting.
Predicted Score: Abahani Dhaka 1-2 Chennaiyin FC
