Owen Coyle is the favourite among Chennaiyin FC (CFC) fans for a reason. The Scot had turned the tide for the club in his first spell here four years ago, taking it from second-from-bottom in the Indian Super League (ISL) to the final.
On his return this season, the Marina Machans have undergone a similar surge, registering wins against Kerala Blasters (1-0), Odisha FC (2-1), Mohun Bagan Super Giant (3-2) and Jamshedpur FC (2-1) in the league this year.
They will hope to ride on the momentum to bolster their chances of qualifying for the playoffs when they take on NorthEast United (NEUFC) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the ISL 10 here on Tuesday.
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Three clubs – East Bengal (EBFC), CFC and NEUFC – remain in contention to bag the final playoffs spot and a win for either side in this clash would help it leapfrog EBFC into the top six before the final round of games.
CFC looks to be peaking at the right time, with its goalkeeper Debjit Majumder pulling off 11 saves against Mohun Bagan, the most by a goalie in a single match in the league’s history, and Jordan Murray producing goals at the right time. In its previous fixture, CFC won a game at home, coming from behind for the first time (18 losses, 8 draws before that).
It will, however, miss its centre-back Bikash Yumnam, who is suspended, after getting a yellow card in their previous game against Jamshedpur FC.
“These kinds of things (injuries and suspensions) happen in league football. Lazar (Cirkovic) and Sarthak (Golui) trained for full sessions with us today and that gives us some options to look at,” Coyle told reporters in the pre-match press conference.
NorthEast United FC, on the other hand, has remained inconsistent with its results.
In its first five ISL games this year, the Highlanders had just one loss but have suffered consecutive losses since, to Punjab FC and Mumbai City FC. In its last match, it returned to winning ways against Kerala Blasters and head coach Juan Pedro Benali would expect a similar show in Chennai.
“The Kerala game is past now. We have a game tomorrow which is equally important for both teams. It will not be easy. Chennaiyin has a very tough, strong and physical team with very good Indian players and a great coach. And they know us very well,” Benali said.
However, the club has had a forgettable away record this season, winning just once in 10 outings (a 2-0 win against FC Goa).
Chennaiyin, under Coyle, made it to the 2019-20 final after finishing bottom in the previous season. NEUFC will look to take a leaf out of that book – it finished last in the 2022-23 season – as it aims to surprise the Marina Machans in their own den.
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