Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC lineups, team news, prediction and preview

Published at :December 27, 2024 at 5:11 PM

Modified at :December 27, 2024 at 5:12 PM

These two sides are almost on opposite ends of the ISL points table.

Southern giants Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC will renew their rivalry at the Marina Arena on Saturday. With more than just three points at stake, both sides would be looking to end the year with a win.

The Stakes

Chennaiyin FC

Owen Coyle’s side suffered a 1-0 loss to Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena last week. The Marina Machans have picked up 15 points from 13 Indian Super League (ISL) games so far. Their win against Hyderabad FC earlier this month was their first win at home in five attempts this season.

Bengaluru FC

Gerrard Zaragoza’s side drew 2-2 against FC Goa in their last encounter, scripting a comeback after going 2-0 down at home. The Blues are currently second in the ISL table with 24 points and are challenging Mohun Bagan for the ISL Shield.

Injury Concerns and Team News

Chennaiyin FC: Elsinho will be unavailable due to his neck injury while Ryan Edwards is suspended after picking up four yellow cards in the league.

Bengaluru FC: The Blues are coming into the game without any major injury concerns

Head-to-Head Stats

Overall Head-to-Head Record between the two clubs:

Number of Games Played in all competitions: 15

Games won by Chennaiyin FC: 4

Games won by Bengaluru FC: 8

Games that ended in a draw: 3

Predicted Line-ups

Chennaiyin FC (4-2-3-1)

Mohammad Nawaz (GK), Mandar Rao Desai, Bikash Yumnam, PC Laldinpuia, Laldinliana Renthlei, Lalrinliana Hnamte, Kiyan Nassiri, Connor Shields, Lukas Brambilla, Irfan Yadwad, Wilmar Jordan Gil

Bengaluru FC (4-3-3)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Aleksander Jovanoic, Nikhil Poojary, Suresh Wangjam, Pedro Capo, Harsh Patre, Ryan Williams, Edgar Mendez, Sunil Chhetri

Players to Watch

Connor Shields (Chennaiyin FC)

**Connor Shields is back to play against Bengaluru FC after serving a suspension last game (Courtesy: ISL media)**

Having missed the game against Mumbai City FC due to suspension, Connor Shields will be back in action against Bengaluru FC. The midfielder has been Chennaiyin FC’s best player this season, having created numerous chances. Once again, Connor could be the game changer for the Marina Machans.

Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru FC)

**Sunil Chhetri has to be the main man for his side (Courtesy: ISL media)**

Bengaluru FC’s captain has rediscovered himself this season, scoring eight goals in 12 ISL games. Sunil Chhetri has a good record against Chennaiyin FC over the years and has scored six goals and provided three assists in 16 ISL games against BFC’s Southern rivals.

Did You Know?

Bengaluru FC’s last win at the Marina Arena came in the 2017-18 ISL season
Chennaiyin FC have picked up just one home win in five ISL games this season
Chennaiyin FC have scored just one goal in their last five ISL games while Bengaluru FC have scored 12 goals in their last five ISL games
Bengaluru FC have not kept a clean sheet in their last five ISL games

Telecast

The Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC match will be played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai on Saturday (28th December 2024). The game will kick off at 7:30 pm IST. The match will be shown live on the Sports 18 network and Star Sports 3. It will also be streamed online on Jio Cinema. International viewers can also watch the game on One Football App.

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