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In the last visit to this part of India, Chennaiyin FC were at the bottom of the table, but their four wins on the trot has given them a chance to make the cut into the last four.
The Marco Materazzi coached side takes on hosts FC Pune City at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune on Saturday, and all they need is a draw to join the top four teams.
It has been a remarkable turnaround with big wins over Kerala Blasters (4-1), Delhi Dynamos (4-0) and Mumbai City FC (3-0) for the Chennai side and look forward to a positive result and stay alive in this championship.
On the other hand, David Platt’s side who once topped the table midway through the league, have lost their way with a series of poor results particularly in their away matches, and are out of the contention. They have nothing to gain, but a win will enable them to sign off this edition of the league on a winning note.
Kickoff Time and Telecast
Live Telecast: Channel: StarSports 1,2 StarSports HD1, HD2
Live Stream: starsports.com
Date and Time: Saturday 5th December 2015 – 1900 IST
Venue: Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune
Live updates on Sportskeeda
Team news
The tragic events in the city has made things tough for Chennaiyin FC off the field as they had to travel by road from Chennai to the Tirupati air base and then chartered a flight to Mumbai after Chennai was submerged under water due to incessant rain. The travel to Pune took considerable time but Materazzi said it would not be a disadvantage.
“When you have this kind of chance, this kind of game, it does not matter how much you travel. Would have done the distance even walking but I am thinking of the people of Chennai who are suffering. We are privileged people and it does not matter if we travel for one or two days,” Materazzi said during the pre-match media briefing.
“It’s about the players because they had what it took to put in practice what I told them. I kept telling them they had the technical skills, they only had to play as a team. It’s largely because of the intelligence of my players,” said Materazzi.
Head coach Marco Materazzi has stuck to his counter-attacking philosophy and with the return of important players like John Stiven Mendoza and Bernard Mendy among others is morale booster for the Chennai side.
“We are approaching this game professionally. There is no other word for it. This game means nothing for us in terms of what we can achieve. We have not qualified but we have to be professional and prepare for this game like we have done before,” Platt told reporters.
Platt said the league provided them with sufficient chances to qualify for the semifinals, but Pune City could not capitalize.
“To not win for six games and still get an opportunity, that’s the way the league is. Everyone has had a bad patch. There is a great deal of parity,” he said.
Pune have their worries as Gouramangi Singh is out injured and Didier Zokora, a midfielder out of action with four bookings.
Probable XI
FC Pune City (4-4-2): Steve Simonsen, James Baily, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Adrian Mutu, Roger Johnson, Nickey Shorey, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Tuncay Sanli, Kalu Uche, Manish Maithani, Jakichand Singh
Chennaiyin FC (4-4-2): Karanjit Singh, Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Mailson Alves, Bernard Mendy, Dhanachandra Singh, Manuele Blasi, Raphael Augusto, Thoi Singh, Bruno Pelissari, John Stiven Mendoza, Jeje Lalpekhlua
Key Battles
Stiven Mendoza vs Roger Johnson
Roger Johnson has been the backbone of the Pune defence in every match he has played. His anticipation and combining with the other defenders has been good all through the league. However, he will have to be extra cautious as the fleet-footed Mendoza has turned out to be a real threat to any opposition. This Colombia striker has proved his worth through his skills with the ball and off the ball movement.
Tuncay Sanli vs Bernard Mendy
Tuncay Sanli has delivered for his side and he is a fan favourite at Pune. His pace to outrun the defence and his ability to find the back of the net has made him as one of the best strikers in this edition. Bernard Mendy will have his task cut out in trying to keep Sanli at bay.
Match Prediction
FC Pune City 3-1 Chennaiyin FC
