ISL | Battle royale expected between two attack-minded teams

Chennaiyin players at a training session ahead of the game against Kerala Blasters.
| Photo Credit: X@ChennaiyinFC

Expect two very attack-minded teams going for the win. That is what Chennaiyin FC coach Owen Coyle had to say at the pre-match press conference as his side gets ready to host southern rival Kerala Blasters FC in an Indian Super League fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Friday.

And there is merit to the comment, given that these two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture. KBFC, currently on a four-match losing streak, including two in the Kalinga Super Cup, will have its task cut out in clinching a win against the home side.

“The game against Punjab was the lowest level of football we played in the last three years. I have never had a four-game straight loss in my career. It’s embarrassing, and I hope the players feel the same. I expect an even tougher game against Chennaiyin,” KBFC coach Ivan Vukomanovic said on Wednesday.

Chennaiyin, on a two-match losing streak of its own, is 11th on the table with 12 points from 13 games. “I accept that we have had a couple of poor results… you have to bounce back quickly once you get punched in the nose. We have a string of home games ahead, and we need to capitalise on that,” Coyle said.

KBFC is fourth with 26 points from 14 games, and a victory will not only solidify its position on the table, but also bring back the mojo it seems to have lost in the last few games.