When Bengaluru FC (BFC) and Chennaiyin FC (CFC) competed in this fixture last year, both sides were battling for the top spot in the Indian Super League (ISL) standings.
Chennaiyin FC is on a seven-game winless run in the Indian Super League 2018-19
Chennai:
The scenario isn’t the same this time around. The teams find themselves on the opposite sides of the spectrum, with a whopping 26 points separating them. Last edition’s finalist Bengaluru is in pole position to qualify for the play-offs, with 31 points from 14 matches. Chennaiyin is rooted to the bottom of the table, having collected a mere five points from the same number of games as its visitor.
Despite keeping hold of the ball for most part of the games, CFC has outscored its opponent only once this campaign, a 4-2 triumph against FC Pune City back in November last year. Its dodgy defence and awful attacking play have contributed largely to the seven-match winless run the team is going through.
When the two-time title-winner hosts BFC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday, the home side would hope to bring this depressing streak to an end.
If it does manage to break this hoodoo, it will take some much-needed confidence with it for its next away game against Kerala Blasters FC, another nemesis of CFC. The absence of the injured Dhanpal Ganesh has left a huge hole in the heart of the midfield and head coach Gregory has found it tough to plug it. But, the Englishman believes new recruit Christopher Herd will add a bit of steel in the middle of the park. “He is an aggressive competitor, something which we have been missing this season. Dhanpal is obviously injured and Bikramjit Singh moved to Delhi Dynamos ahead of ISL 5. Chris is a tough cookie, who is expected to play a part in Saturday’s game,” said Gregory during the pre-match press conference.
Bengaluru may not have displayed its slick passing game like last season, but knows the knack of churning out positive results.
The fightback in the 2-2 draw against Blasters in its previous encounter is a testament to its never say die attitude. Regular skipper Sunil Chhetri and pacy winger Udanta Singh have been rested, but the team is bolstered by the return of striker Miku.
BFC, which played in its changed strips of fluorescent green, beat the host black and blue at the ‘Marina Arena’. But, John Gregory’s men went on to inflict a telling blow by defeating their derby rivals in the title clash.
The scenario isn’t the same this time around. The teams find themselves on the opposite sides of the spectrum, with a whopping 26 points separating them. Last edition’s finalist Bengaluru is in pole position to qualify for the play-offs, with 31 points from 14 matches. Chennaiyin is rooted to the bottom of the table, having collected a mere five points from the same number of games as its visitor.
Despite keeping hold of the ball for most part of the games, CFC has outscored its opponent only once this campaign, a 4-2 triumph against FC Pune City back in November last year. Its dodgy defence and awful attacking play have contributed largely to the seven-match winless run the team is going through.
When the two-time title-winner hosts BFC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday, the home side would hope to bring this depressing streak to an end.
If it does manage to break this hoodoo, it will take some much-needed confidence with it for its next away game against Kerala Blasters FC, another nemesis of CFC. The absence of the injured Dhanpal Ganesh has left a huge hole in the heart of the midfield and head coach Gregory has found it tough to plug it. But, the Englishman believes new recruit Christopher Herd will add a bit of steel in the middle of the park. “He is an aggressive competitor, something which we have been missing this season. Dhanpal is obviously injured and Bikramjit Singh moved to Delhi Dynamos ahead of ISL 5. Chris is a tough cookie, who is expected to play a part in Saturday’s game,” said Gregory during the pre-match press conference.
Bengaluru may not have displayed its slick passing game like last season, but knows the knack of churning out positive results.
The fightback in the 2-2 draw against Blasters in its previous encounter is a testament to its never say die attitude. Regular skipper Sunil Chhetri and pacy winger Udanta Singh have been rested, but the team is bolstered by the return of striker Miku.