Bambolim (Goa), Dec 3 Chennaiyin FC will hope to get back to winning ways when they take on arch-rivals Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the GMC Stadium here on Friday.
After a brilliant start to the season, trouncing Jamshedpur FC, Csaba Laszlo's men endured a frustrating draw against Kerala Blasters, a game in which they were forced to split points despite clearly being the better team. With Bengaluru struggling to develop momentum after two straight draws, Chennaiyin will fancy their chances of a win.
Previous matches between Chennaiyin and Bengaluru have always been heated affairs with the emotions between the two sets of fans usually adding to the rivalry. Laszlo may have just started his stint at Chennaiyin but the significance of the fixture is not lost on him.
He will look to his defence to provide the platform for his attackers to grab the three points on offer. With just one goal conceded in their two matches, the Chennaiyin defence has made their best-ever start to the ISL. The likes of Eli Sabia and Enes Sipovic have looked regal at the back.
There are problems aplenty for Bengaluru coach Carles Cuadrat. His team is struggling to find the attacking impetus that they've never been short of in the previous seasons. Bengaluru have attempted just 12 shots in their two games and got only three of them on target, the least by any team in the league so far in both respects. His front-three of Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva, and Kristian Opseth have failed to fire so far.
( With inputs from IANS )
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