The highly anticipated eighth edition of the Indian Super League has started. Hyderabad FC and Chennaiyin FC are set to have an intriguing clash today at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim.
Team News
Chennaiyin FC will be without the services of Rafael Crivellaro and Germanpreet Singh.
The Nizams on the other hand have all their players fit and ready to go into action.
3 Indians to watch out for:
Chinglensana Singh:
Hyderabad FC’s main Indian Centre Back will be one of the important Indian players to watch out for this season and mainly in today’s game. It will be interesting to see how Chinglensana and Juanan work together to defend and stop the likes of Lukasz Gikiewicz from scoring goals.
Hitesh Sharma:
One of the top young performers for the Nizams last season, Hitesh Sharma put on a good show last year with his decisive passes along with accurate crosses and tackles. He had 13 interceptions and 38 tackles last season. He will be a key player for the Nizams this campaign too.
Rahim Ali
Rahim Ali was one of the top performers for Chennaiyin last season, he has got plenty of game time last season under Csaba László. This season will be no different for Rahim Ali under the new coach, Bozidar Bandovic. He will be one of the key forwards for Chennai tomorrow who will be causing troubles to Hyderabad’s full-backs.
3 foreigners to watch out for:
Slavko Damjanovic
On paper, Hyderabad has one of the best attacks in the league. Chennaiyin FC will have a hard time defending against their pacy wingers and Ogbeche. CFC have conceded 23 goals last season, Sipovic and Sabia couldn’t meet the expectations of fans. Slavko Damjanovic on the other hand is an experienced centre back who is good with his feet.
Ariel Borysiuk:
Chennaiyin FC sold Deepak Tangri to ATK Mohun Bagan. Tangri and Memo made a good defensive midfield duo last season but this time both of them are not at Chennaiyin. Ariel’s counter-attacking capability, beating the opposition’s press will come in handy for CFC in tomorrow’s game. It will be interesting to see how Slavko and Ariel work together defensively.
Joao Victor:
Joao Victor has signed a two-year contract extension with the Nizams and will be playing for them till the end of the 2023 season. He has been crucial for Hyderabad’s defense last season as he can play as a defensive midfielder and also as a centre back. He will surely leave his mark in tomorrow’s game in both defense and midfield.
Predicted line-up
Hyderabad FC
Chennaiyin FC
Head-to-head record
Total Matches – 4, HFC Wins – 2, CFC Wins – 2
The last encounter between the two teams ended with a 2-0 win favourable to Hyderabad. Joel Chianese and Fran Sandaza were the goal scorers for the Nizams.
Predicted result
Most of the foreign contingent for both the teams are new. Hyderabad has a slight advantage over Chennaiyin FC because their foreign contingent is ISL experienced and Chennai have a new coach, so it will take time for the team to gel but given the strength of both the teams IFTWC predicts it to be a draw match for both the teams with a few goals from both sides.
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