Chennai: Chennaiyin FC are expected to face a tough challenge from table-toppers Odisha FC when they lock horns in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 fixture at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Sunday. But Chennaiyin head coach Owen Coyle believes his side can turn the tables and bring back smiles on the faces of home fans.
While addressing the media on Saturday during a pre-match press conference, the experienced Scotsman termed Odisha a very good side and asked his men to play to their full potential to secure a win. “There’s no doubt that they’re a very good side. But that being said, we know if we were best, it’s a game we can win. We’re back at home, which is great.
“We know that performance-wise there have been some good aspects of that (match against Mumbai City and East Bengal), but ultimately, in football people just look at results which you need to get if you want to attain success,” Coyle told the media.
The Marina Machans are set to play four of their remaining six matches at home as the competition gets more intense with the league approaching its business end. “What we have to do is certainly be more clinical because we create big chances in every game. But that being said, for where we are just now, we want to be winning, we can do that. So four games at home and two away, all games capable of winning because we’ve shown good performances. But what we need is that clinical edge to take the chances,” he further added.
Commenting on Chennaiyin’s hopes of making it to the Top-6, goalkeeper Debjit Majumder, who has achieved three clean sheets and 36 saves this season, said: “If we win two games, I think we can push ourselves in there and be in a much better position and we have to take advantage of our four home matches now. “We’ve conceded goals because of small mistakes, defensive mistakes which we’re trying to correct every day in training and the preparation remains the same as always.”
When asked about the team’s approach for the remaining matches, Coyle added: “I think for us it’s the first game that comes which is Odisha. When we’re at our very best, we’ve shown we can win games and that’s what we have to do. It’s one game at a time. But we know if we can come up with a big performance and win that game against Odisha, it will lead us into a game against Hyderabad. So there are real opportunities moving forward.”
In 19 matches played between the two teams, Odisha FC have won eight, Chennaiyin claimed three and eight matches ended in a draw.
–IANS