Bengaluru FC seek play- off berth
Chennai, Feb. 8: Tabletoppers Bengaluru FC would eye sealing a playoff berth when they take on laggards Chennaiyin FC in an Indian Super League match here on Saturday.
Bengaluru had the opportunity to secure a spot in the knockout stage in the previous match against Kerala Blasters FC but a draw put paid to their hopes.
The visiting team, boasting of the country’s star striker Sunil Chhetri in its line- up apart from the likes of Miku, will pose questions to a struggling Chennaiyin defence, which has so far conceded 25 goals, the maximum by any side this season.
While Bengaluru FC have been dominant like last season, defending champions Chennaiyin
have been in woeful form, to say the least.
The Chennaiyin defence has been at sixes and sevens and lapses have been far too many. In the previous game against FC Pune City, defensive errors proved costly as the team went down
despite scoring first. The forward line has been struggling and the absence of Dhanpal Ganesh in the mid- field owing to an injury has not helped their cause.
Coach John Gregory will be hoping new signing Chris Herd will step in to man the midfield and infuse a spark into the team’s play.
To compound their problems, captain Mailson Alves is suspended while Andrea Orlandi and Inigo Calderon have been released from the squad.
JAMSHEDPUR WIN Jamshedpur FC claimed a vital win in their quest to reach the ISL play- offs after a hard- fought 1- 0 win over Mumbai City FC in Jamshedpur on Friday.
After a goalless first half, Jamshedpur stepped up the pressure on Mumbai and found the match- winner through Memo in the 80th minute.
The result sees Jamshedpur inch to within a point of fourthplaced NorthEast United, while Mumbai remain in second position.