Goa vs Chennaiyin: Preview and Prediction
Goa and Chennaiyin will cross swords at Bambolim’s Athletic Stadium in the late kick-off of the last double-header of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season.
Last season’s runners-up, Goa has lost their sheen this time around and has struggled to replicate their flamboyance and sleek style of play. With only nine points in their account from as many matches, the Gaurs are occupying the ninth position in the standings.
On the other hand, Chennaiyin has been comparatively better, as they have secured 14 points from their nine matches and are currently occupying the sixth position. Depending on the outcomes of the two matches which will be held before this game, the Marina Machans can find themselves at the top of the table with a win here.
How have they done so far?
Goa had a nightmarish start to their campaign as they lost all of their first three matches – against Mumbai City, NorthEast United, and Jamshedpur. However, it was followed by a run of four unbeaten matches, where the Gaurs defeated East Bengal and Bengaluru and secured draws against Hyderabad and Odisha.
Their juggernaut came to a halt when they faced former head coach Juan Ferrando’s ATK Mohun Bagan, but Derrick Pereira’s boys bounced back with a 2-2 stalemate against Kerala Blasters in their previous match.
Unlike their opposition, Chennaiyin had a rather decent start to their campaign, as they remained unbeaten in their first three matches. Bozidar Bandovic’s team won two and lost as many of those matches.
Mumbai City handed them their first defeat in their fifth outing, and while they fought back with a 2-1 win over Odisha, back-to-back defeats against Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru stunted their growth once again. It will now be interesting to see whether Chennaiyin can manage to secure two consecutive wins after the 1-0 triumph against Jamshedpur.
Head to Head Record
There is not much to separate these two sides based on head-to-head records. Out of the 19 meetings between these two sides, Goa has emerged victorious on nine occasions while Chennaiyin had the last laugh eight times, with two matches ending in stalemates.
The first match of last season ended 2-1 in Chennaiyin’s favor courtesy of goals from Rafael Crivellaro and Rahim Ali. The return leg produced a 2-2 thriller where Jakub Sylvestr and Lallianzuala Chhangte scored for the Marina Machans while former Gaurs Igor Angulo and Ishan Pandita were on target for Juan Ferrando’s team.
Team News
Anwar Ali can make his Goa debut in this match
Playing an all-overseas central defender pairing did not pay dividends for Pereira as Dylan Fox was caught flat-footed on more than one occasion. He could make way for the young Indian defender Anwar Ali who has formally joined the club in the ongoing winter transfer window.
By playing Ali in the heart of his defense, Pereira will be able to free up an overseas slot and can include Alberto Noguera in Muhammad Nemil’s place further up on the pitch.
Multiple gambles paying off simultaneously is not a rare sight but we witnessed it in Chennaiyin’s previous match against Jamshedpur, where all of the three players handed rare starts by Bandovic – Debjit Majumder, Lukasz Gikiewicz, and Mohd Sajid Dhot justified their selection.
They certainly have retained their place in the team but striker Mirlan Murzaev could have to make way for Nerijus Valskis for what could be the Lithuanian’s second debut with the Marina Machans. Besides that, Bandovic can also replace Germanpreet Singh with Edwin Sydney Vanspaul after the former’s poor show against the Red Miners.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Goa (3-4-1-2): Dheeraj Singh; Ivan Gonzalez, Anwar Ali, Aiban Dohling; Seriton Fernandes, Edu Bedia, Glan Martins, Saviour Gama; Alberto Noguera; Devendra Murgaonkar, Jorge Ortiz.
Chennaiyin (3-5-2): Debjit Majumder; Mohd Sajid Dhot, Slavko Damjanovic, Narayan Das; Reagan Singh, Vladimir Koman, Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Anirudh Thapa, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Nerijus Valskis, Lukasz Gikiewicz.
Prediction
Though Goa is slightly ahead on head-to-head records, current form is tilted in Chennaiyin’s favor. Hence, we have predicted a 2-1 win for the two-time champions.