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Having been involved in a tight goalless draw two days back, Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC meet again in the Indian Super League for the reverse fixture on Wednesday, January 13. The GMC Stadium in Bambolim will be the match venue, as it is the designated home ground for Odisha FC as well.
It will be eighth (Chennaiyin FC) in the table against eleventh (Odisha FC), as Csaba Laszlo’s Marina Machans look to improve on their finishing against the Juggernauts. In the clash between both sides on Sunday, Laszlo’s men fashioned three clear cut opportunities to score, but failed to beat Arshdeep Singh in goal for Stuart Baxter’s men.
Chennaiyin FC will also be looking to get a first win over Odisha, having managed two draws and one defeat so far against them. The likes of Jakub Sylvestr, Rahim Ali and Lallianzuala Chhangte will have to improve on their showing, so will the other foreign recruits in Isma Goncalves and Tajik winger Fatkhullo Fatkhulloev who have been ineffective so far. Chennaiyin FC will be desperate to improve on their eight goals scored so far this season, which makes them unfortunately the lowest scorers in the ISL after 10 games played.
Chennaiyin FC announced the signing of Spanish creative midfielder Manuel Lanzarote on Monday, however the former FC Goa and ATK man will not be available until he serves out his quarantine period, which is still quite a few days away. In midfield, Memo Moura and Anirudh Thapa did look lively in the first encounter against Odisha FC, however there is massive scope for improvement as they strive towards more cohesion.
On the bright side, following the 0-0 draw on Sunday, Chennaiyin FC notched a fourth clean sheet of the season, that complimented the fact that they are the third best defensive force in the league after table toppers Mumbai City FC and ATK Mohun Bagan. Laszlo will be expecting more of the same at the back, while hopeful of his attackers finding their scoring boots. And with games coming thick and fast, the Chennaiyin FC faithful back home will be hoping for a victory to put them back on track in the hunt for a play-off spot. As things stand, they are just four points off FC Goa who currently sit in fourth place.
