Jamshedpur: Chennaiyin FC and Jamshedpur FC will be marching on their retrieval routes in a bid to recover from their recent losses when they clash at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 fixture on Monday.
The match marks a reunion of friends-turned-foes, with the likes of Owen Coyle, Farukh Choudhary, and Daniel Chima Chukwu returning to their old hunting ground at Jamshedpur. Coyle had even propelled the Red Miners to championship success in 2021-22, and hence the home fans are likely to give him a warm reception.
Both teams have put on a show for their respective fan bases in the current campaign. They have performed as cohesive, well-oiled units, garnering much-needed victories and starting the season on a strong footing. However, they suffered minor setbacks in their previous games, with Jamshedpur FC encountering a challenging away fixture in the face of a 5-0 defeat to NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC going down 3-2 to Punjab FC in New Delhi.
They will be eager to regroup, to set their processes right, and hit the reset button so that they can rejuvenate a positive-looking season thus far. For that, this match assumes great importance, since they will want to prevent the side from succumbing to a spiral of successive defeats.
The Men of Steel are unbeaten in their previous four matches at this venue against the Marina Machans. They have won once and drawn thrice in this period. In fact, Chenniayin FC’s only win at the JRD Tata Sports Complex came nearly seven years back on December 28, 2017, by a slender 1-0 margin
With three consecutive home victories, Jamshedpur FC have been relentlessly good in their backyard this season. They have netted at least twice in each of these games, and a possible win in this match will mark their longest such streak in the competition’s history. Jamil’s men have certainly captured the imagination of their supporters and extending this stretch for as long as possible would help them get the consistent backing of their beloved fans.
Jamshedpur FC head coach Khalid Jamil acknowledged that the team faced a crushing loss against the Highlanders and he is backing his boys to produce a better performance this time around.
“We faced a big loss, so it’s time to put in the efforts and perform better. We had enough time to reflect and rectify our mistakes and we will try to do that tomorrow,” Jamil said.
Coyle has faced his former club Jamshedpur FC four times in the ISL – winning and drawing twice each. This is the only ISL team he is yet to lose against. More importantly, Coyle’s teams have scored 11 goals against Jamil’s team – his highest such tally against any head coach in the competition. With such a positive track record, Coyle has a good chance to extend that run with a desirable outcome in this match.
Ahead of the match, Coyle lauded his counterpart Jamil, but insisted that his admiration for the opponents doesn’t take anything away from the fact that they will be doing everything to clinch the three points tomorrow.
“Khalid is an excellent coach. He has shown it at a number of clubs. Jamshedpur FC have given him an opportunity that he has grabbed with both hands. For the duration of the game, we will be doing everything to win,” Coyle said.
The two teams have played 14 games in the ISL. Chennnaiyin FC have won six games, whereas Jamshedpur FC have emerged victorious thrice. Five encounters have resulted in a draw.
–IANS
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