Odisha Vs Chennaiyin Preview: Can Marina Machans end woeful spell?

The teams will clash for the second time within a week.

Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC will face each other in the Indian Super League 2020-21 again on Wednesday, after playing out a draw on Sunday. The outfits were evenly matched in the fixture, which resulted in a tame goalless stalemate.

With the reverse fixture looming, the clubs will go again and try to improve on their respective performances. The aim would be to take pointers from the previous game and apply them in the upcoming fixture to gain an advantage.

The Stakes

Odisha FC are undefeated in their last two games and would like to add to their solitary win, which came against a hapless Kerala Blasters. While the team was not able to replicate the performance against CFC, they will be motivated by the point and must look to win the next game, to alleviate the pressure on head coach Stuart Baxter.

The club are firmly at the bottom of the league table, three points behind the Blasters, who recently won their match against Jamshedpur FC, to take their tally to nine points.

Last season’s runners-ups, Chennaiyin FC have struggled to find any sort of rhythm this term. They are languishing in eighth position on the table, with only two victories out of 10 games. The threat of missing out on a playoffs spot is becoming more real by every passing gameweek.

Csaba Laszlo needs to get his team performing to their potential and climb up the ladder before the margins are too steep to reduce. They need to turn draws into wins with more adventurous gameplay and must take risks against an Odisha side that are defensively vulnerable.

Team News

The Juggernauts will be definitely without their in-form defender Jacob Tratt, who accumulated four yellow cards over the course of the season, which leads to a one-match suspension. This may compel Baxter to make changes to the lineup and formation. Shubham Sarangi is expected to start in Tratt’s place, while Manuel Onwu could also be back into the starting lineup. 

Crivellaro has been ruled out for the season with a long-term injury and Manuel Lanzarote has been recruited as a replacement to spearhead the attack. Csaba Laszlo might stick with the same lineup from the previous game, considering they will play the same opponents and do not have any suspensions to work around.

Probable Lineups

Odisha FC: Arshdeep; Sarangi, Taylor, Bora, Antonay; Alexander, Rai, Nandhakumar, Jerry; Onwu, Mauricio.

Chennaiyin FC: Kaith; Singh, Sabia, Sipovic, Lalrinzuala; Thapa, Memo, Fatkhuloev, Sylvestr, Chhangte; Ali. 

Head-to-Head

https://youtu.be/h3Is3GvkNUA

The clubs have faced each other on three occasions in the ISL, of which two games have ended in draws and the odd one resulted in a victory for Odisha. 

Man to Watch

Arshdeep Singh (Odisha FC)

The custodian at the back for OFC, Arshdeep Singh has been their most consistent performer. Despite the goals conceded due to defensive errors, without the presence of the goalkeeper between the sticks, the outfit could have leaked in way more. Stuart Baxter has also praised him on numerous occasions and expects the player to continue improving.

Arshdeep is a brilliant shot-stopper and has quietly made a strong case for a national team call-up. A save percentage of 71.79% is among the best in the league and he will prove to be a tough nut to crack for CFC yet again. 

Lallianzuala Chhangte (Chennaiyin FC)

Lallianzuala Chhangte was a livewire when both the outfits clashed on Sunday evening. The winger took three shots on goal, but unfortunately could not find the back of the net. That said, he was a constant nuisance for Jacob Tratt and ran him ragged with his speed and swift movement.

The 23-year-old also grabbed the Hero of the Match award for his performance and will look to carry his form into the next game. While he needs to improve on the end product, Chhangte’s growing confidence could spell trouble for the opposition’s defenders.

Did You Know?

• Chennaiyin FC are yet to defeat Odisha FC, as they have been unable to do so in the last three fixtures.
• Jerry Mawihmingthanga is the joint-top assist-maker in the competition with Hugo Boumous (4).
• Odisha FC have scored 10 goals, out of which 50% have come from Diego Mauricio.  

Telecast

The match between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC will be live on Star Sports 1 & 1HD, Star Sports 2 & 2HD (English), Star Sports Hindi 1 & 1HD, Star Sports 3 (HINDI) and several other regional languages. The match will also be available for live streaming on JioTV and Disney+Hotstar.