Match Preview – ATK Mohun Bagan V Chennaiyin FC – Team News, Injuries, Predictions and more

ATK Mohun Bagan go into the match on the 11th of December, at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa, with the hope of putting their most recent 2-1 loss to Jamshedpur FC behind them. The Mariners are in desperate need to secure a victory given their recent run of losses which began by falling to Mumbai City 5-1. A solid 3 points in the bag would definitely help ATK Mohun Bagan’s cause.

The Marina Machans on the other hand come into the game with a decent run of games and securing a point against SC East Bengal. They will be looking to continue their decent run of games by securing a win or a point at least against ATK Mohun Bagan.

Team News

ATK Mohun Bagan might miss out on the inclusion of Deepak Tangri, as it is still unclear what his suspension period will be after the red card against Mumbai City FC. Tiri and Soosairaj should yet again be available for selection.

Chennaiyin FC are still lacking the services of Rafael Crivellaro, who is yet to be match-fit.

3 Foreigners to watch out for:

Hugo Boumous

Hugo Boumous is by far the best playmaker in ATK Mohun Bagan’s arsenal. He has been quite crucial to the Mariners ever since his move from last season’s champions- Mumbai City. He has scored 2 goals for the Mariners so far this season and has been quite influential to their dominance in the mid-field. He is one of the best ball carriers in the squad and will no doubt be a threat to Chennaiyin FC’s hopes of securing something from the match.

With 2 goals and an assist in his previous 4 games, Roy Krishna has shown promise yet again this season. His predatory instincts in the box and lethal and precise finishing has led him to be considered the tailsman of the side over the past few seasons. It is fair to say that he has had quite a few chances over the past few games and has been a bit unlucky in converting them but it is still early on in the season and given his track record it’s a no-brainer that he will step up for the Mariners when the going gets tough.

Vladimir Koman is one of the key playmakers of Chennaiyin FC. The Hungarian player has taken up the responsibility of being a key asset in mid-field for the Marina Machans. He has stepped up as a better playmaker for his side after Chennaiyin FC’s captain from last season, Rafael Crivellaro sustained an injury last season. He has already put the ball in the back of the net once so far this season and there is no reason why we should doubt his ability to do it again tonight against the Mariners. On a side note, watch out for his set-pieces tonight.

3 Indians to watch out for

Manvir Singh

Manvir Singh is no doubt going to be crucial in tonight’s match against Chennaiyin FC. His pace and good crossing ability will prove to be hazardous to the opposition’s defense. His quick counter-attacks owing to his pace and lethal finishing will definitely give the opposition’s defenders a run for their money. He has already bagged a goal this season and will be looking to add some more to this tally tonight.

Chennaiyin FC’s captain is definitely one to watch out for. With a goal already to his name this season, he’ll be looking to improve on his tally tonight by putting on a masterclass against the Mariners. Playing in center mid-field he will definitely get a lot of chances in initiating his side’s attack. His excellent ability to break the lines should not be overlooked.

With 2 clean sheets already to his name and his excellent goal-saving abilities would definitely make him one to watch out for. His decent XG against ratio would make opposition players like Roy Krishna work extra hard to get the ball past him and into the back of the net. His commanding presence at the back also calms his defenders in tough situations. There is no doubt that he will pull off some acrobatic saves and some for the cameras as well.

Predicted Line-ups

Head to head record

The two sides have met twice before (owing to the new franchise), out of which ATK Mohun Bagan have won 1 and the other game was concluded in a stalemate. In the “goals scored” department, ATK Mohun Bagan are 80% better than their rivals with an average of 1.8 goals scored per match compared to Chennaiyin FC’s 1 goal scored per match. In the “goals conceded” department, ATK Mohun Bagan trails their rivals with 2 goals scored against them on average per match compared to CFC’s 1.1 goals conceded per match. Thus, CFC are 45% better than ATKMB in this aspect of the game.

Match Predictions

Both the teams will look to secure a solid 3 points in the bag. More so for ATK Mohun Bagan, given their poor run of form. The Mariners will be looking to not make it 3 defeats in a row which would indeed be a disastrous start to the season. Chennaiyin FC on the other hand will be looking to do better than their last outing against SC East Bengal which ended in a stalemate.

Chennaiyin FC will look to convert their chances this time around unlike last time. This said, ATK Mohun Bagan will try desperately to secure a win and will no doubt come out all guns blazing and might just edge this encounter given their “riches of attackers”. Chennaiyin FC will have to really defend well to get something out of this game.

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