Two struggling sides, NorthEast United and Chennaiyin FC meet at Guwahati in search of a victory that will help them climb up the ladder.
The Highlanders slumped to yet another loss with Odisha Fc triumphing 2-1 against them whereas Marina Machans came out on the losing side as well by 3-1 against Hyderabad FC.
NEUFC vs CFC Match Details
Date: Saturday, 10 December 2022
Time: 19:30 (IST)
Venue: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati
NEUFC vs CFC Match Preview
NorthEast United’s 2-1 loss to Odisha FC brought the end to head coach Marco Balbul’s tenure at the club. His sacking was a bubbling topic for a long time now with his antics on the sidelines also not helping. The Highlanders are placed bottom of the table with no points on board after eight games, scoring merely four and conceding 18. They have not waited longer to rope in a new coach in the form of Vincenzo Alberto Annese. The Italian is a familiar figure in the Indian football circuit after guiding Gokulam Kerala FC to back-to-back I league titles, the first club to do so, in the last two seasons. His time at the club from South India saw him play positive football with a pressing system and attacking flux. Something incredibly wanted at NorthEast United already suffered their worst-ever start to an ISL campaign. Annese also arrives with a title-winning mentality and while the Highlanders are certainly not in the mix for trophies, they need a piece of his genius to escape the humiliation they are having. The franchise also has the chance to support the manager in building a long-term plan with him rather than being a talent feeder club only. Earlier, NorthEast United have responded to a change in the managerial role brilliantly and something similar is expected this time as well. The new boss has quite a task in hand. So far, Annese has enjoyed being on the other end of the table managing a champion squad while now he has to look down at the table with low in confident players in a different league. He wants to hit the ground running against an opposition NorthEast United have failed to beat in the last four meetings.
While Chennaiyin FC are not in a tumultuous state like the Highlanders, two straight defeats have left coach Thomas Brdaric concerned about his team. Although both the fixtures were against teams from the top end of the table, Marina Machans could have gained more than the scoreline would have suggested. After narrowly getting beaten in stoppage time against Odisha FC in a 3-2 thriller at the end of last month, Chennaiyin FC crossed roads with second-placed Hyderabad FC. The Nizams came out 3-1 winners but the home side did trouble them with big chances created. While Brdaric’s men converted one through Petar Sliskovic, the guests were far more superior in their clinical nature. However, the main problem lies at the back with the side incapable to keep clean sheets and prevent conceding goals in crucial stages of a game. They have kept only one clean sheet in their win against East Bengal in early November. Chennaiyin FC leaked five goals in the first four game of the season while that figure got doubled with 13 conceded in the next four. Only winless NorthEast United, their next opposition, has conceded more goals than them. But Marina Machans are placed in close quarters to the playoff spot despite their off form. Two points only separate them from sixth-placed FC Goa who will play earlier on Saturday. Thomas Brdaric knows returning to winning ways will be crucial against pointless Highlanders but feels the change of managers for the host of the game has come at the wrong time for Chennaiyin. Still, their recent record against NorthEast United should make them optimistic or else the new boss at the opposition dugout with title winning experience could pile up more misery on them.
Recent Form
NEUFC: LLLLL
CFC: LLWLW
NEUFC vs CFC Predicted Lineups
NEUFC: Arindam Bhattacharya; Joe Zoherliana, Aaron Evans, Michael Jakobsen, Tondonba Singh; Romain Philippoteaux, Jon Gaztanaga, Pragyan Gogoi; Parthib Gogoi, Roccharzela, Imran Khan
CFC: Debjit Majumder; Edwin Vanspaul, Fallou Diagne, Gurmukh Singh, Aakash Sangwan; Sourav Das, Julius Duker; Rahim Ali, El Khayati, Prasanth K; Petar Sliskovic
NEUFC vs CFC Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Debjit (6.5)
DEF: Diagne (7.5), Evans (7.5), Jakobsen (7), Sangwan (8)
MID: Prasanth (8.5), Philippoteaux (8), Gaztanaga (8.5), El Khayati (9)
FW: Rochharzela (8), Sliskovic (9)
Vice-captain: Petar Sliskovic
Captain: El Khayati
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