ISL: Chennaiyin FC seek return to form
After a turbo charged start, they have stagnated with four straight draws
By : t.n. raghu
Update: 2014-11-19 07:33 GMT
Chennai: Winning is a habit and Chennaiyin are in dire need to re-acquaint themselves with it after a spate of draws in the Indian Super League. After a turbo-charged start, they have stagnated with four straight draws.
Marco Materazzi’s team face FC Pune City in their fifth home match on Wednesday and three points will take them closer to the semi-finals.
One thing is certain at this stage: no club can claim to have sealed a place in the knockout round. There isn’t much difference between the top and bottom halves of the table. The home bend of the league could dramatically alter the semi-final equation.
Materazzi will be sanguine about Wednesday’s result if he went by Chennaiyin’s show against Pune in a 1-1 away result last week. It was one of their best performances yet. They were unlucky not to come away with full points.
The hosts will once again be looking to Elano for inspiration. He has never failed to score at home and was in imperious form against NorthEast United last time around. The Chennaiyin forwards have a job on their hands to breach Pune’s defence. The visitors have one of the stingiest back lines in the league.