Hyderabad vs Chennaiyin: Preview and Prediction
The raging South Indian Derby is going to take place between Hyderabad and Chennaiyin in the Match No. 5 of Group C. The defending Indian Super League champions and the two-time champs will be up against each other to survive in the race to the knockout round of the elusive trophy.
The first Southern Derby chapter of this Durand Cup edition will be hosted by Khuman Lampak Main Stadium of Imphal, Manipur on Friday at 3 pm.
Thomas Brdaric has a golden opportunity to end Chennaiyin’s trophy drought of four years and that too in his first assignment with the Marina Machans. However, a draw in the opening fixture may cost them big chunks later on as their tougher fixtures are yet to come. Earlier, the Tamil Nadu-based outfit participated in the 2019 Durand Cup edition but couldn’t move further from the group stages after fetching only two points from three matches.
After conquering the country’s top-flight league, the Deccan Gladiators are now gearing to continue their triumphant run in this tournament too. After an unsuccessful attempt in the previous edition, the Yellow and Blacks are back to once again aim at the prestigious Durand Cup trophy. The tournament has just started and Manuel Marquez and his boys are already considered the dark forces of this competition.
Current Form
It was a perfect show for the Nizams against TRAU
Hyderabad kick-started their Durand Cup campaign with a thumping win over the home side TRAU. The Yellow Nizams emerged victorious on a 2-0 scoreline with the help of goals from Halicharan Narzary and the Spanish debutant Borja Herrera.
The Hyderabad youngster Hitesh Sharma was adjudged Player of the Match receiver for his standout performance in the midfield.
On the other hand, the Marina Machans were forced to share vital match-points with the Army Red side as their encounter resulted in a 2-2 draw. An 89th-minute equaliser from the German midfielder Julius Duker and then the following injury-time goal by Edwin Sydney Vanspaul brought them to the driving seat in no time.
However, the joy of Chennaiyin fans quickly faded away as the Army Red striker Liton Shil went on to score the final equaliser just a couple of minutes after that.
Head to Head record
There has been a neck-to-neck battle between these two ISL outfits ever since the inception of Hyderabad FC in 2019. The current head-to-head count favours the Machans with three wins while the Yellow and Black Army is also not far behind with two wins. The most recent face-off of this rivalry which ended on a neutral scoreline is the only draw outcome between them.
It was the Match No. 59 of the 2021-22 ISL season played at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium of Fatorda which resulted in a 1-1 scoreline. The scoreline was opened by the CFC defender Mohammad Sajid Dhot in the 13th minute of the play. The equaliser from the Hyderabad camp came from the Spanish forward Javier Siverio who levelled it up in the final moments of the first half.
The Nizams have a decent Durand Cup record on their back by winning two and losing out two games. Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu-based club is yet to open their win account at Asia’s oldest existing football tournament. Chennaiyin has played four fixtures of this competition till the date, lost one while three of them were drawn.
Team News
All eyes are on the CFC skipper Anirudh Thapa
Hyderabad gaffer Manuel Marquez Roca fielded a younger and bit inexperienced eleven against TRAU. However, we can expect plenty of changes in the Starting XI as they are going to face a relatively stronger opponent this time.
We may expect to see the foreign knights Joao Victor, Odei Onaindia, Bartholomew Ogbeche and Javier Siverio who made substitute appearances in the previous fixture lining up at the kick-off against the Southern counterparts.
Head coach Tomas Brdaric presented his first Chennaiyin lineup featuring eight players who were seen in CFC colours for the first time. It is being speculated that they will be replacing the developmental players with the first-choice options against Hyderabad to leave no stone unturned. Jobby Justin and Edwin Sydney Vanspaul are the most likely names to be brought into the lineup ahead of the HFC clash.
Predicted Starting XIs
Hyderabad FC (4-4-2): Laxmikant Kattimani; Akash Mishra, Chinglensana Singh, Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee Tamang; Mohammed Yasir, Hitesh Sharma, Joao Victor, Nikhil Poojary; Bartholomew Ogbeche, Javier Siverio
Chennaiyin FC (3-5-2): Debjit Majumdar; Fallou Diagne, Mohammad Sajid Dhot, Salam Ranjan Singh; Ajith Kumar, Anirudh Thapa, Edwin Sydney Vanspaul, Julius Duker, Jiteshwor Singh; Petar Sliskovic, Jobby Justin
Prediction
The current form and especially the recent victory have brightened up the winning chances of Hyderabad in this contest. However, it will be very tough to recover from the consequences for the Marina Machans if they end up on the losing side. Hence the Friday battle will be a legendary one where Chennaiyin will be aiming to orchestrate a comeback in order to keep themselves alive in the competition.