Kolkata, November 29: Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take on Chennaiyin FC in their upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash on November 30, Saturday, at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan with the match slated to kick off at 7:30 PM IST.
Mohun Bagan enter this fixture on a positive note, having earned a comfortable 3-0 win over Jamshedpur FC in their previous tie. Sitting second on the ISL table with five wins and two draws, the Mariners have fared pretty well this season.
Chennaiyin FC on the other hand, come into this game on the back of a 0-3 loss to Kerala Blasters FC. They currently occupy the seventh position in the points table with 12 points, thanks to three wins and the same number of draws.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s ‘Home Run’
· Unbeaten streak: Mohun Bagan Super Giant are currently unbeaten in their last five home games of the ISL. They have won four fixtures and drawn the other. However, the last time they lost a home game in the league stage of the competition came against Chennaiyin FC themselves (March 31, 2024; 2-3 margin).
· Clean sheet on the cards: The Mariners have kept a clean sheet in their last two home fixtures. But they have never been able to maintain a clean sheet in three consecutive home games in the history of the ISL. A clean sheet against the Marina Machans will help them achieve that feat.
Chennaiyin FC’s Goal Difference
· Positive Goal Difference: This season marks the first time in last seven ISL editions where Chennaiyin FC have kept a positive goal difference after their first nine games. Prior to that, the Marina Machans had a positive goal difference in this stage only twice – +5 in the 2017-18 edition and in 2014. This shows that head coach Owen Coyle’s plans have been working wonders on both ends of the field.
· Record against Mohun Bagan: The Marina Machans have won each of their two meetings against Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the opposition’s home, scoring multiple goals in both clashes. Moreover, Chennaiyin FC are the only side Mohun Bagan Super Giant are yet to register a win against at home in the ISL, demonstrating that the Marina Machans always bring their A-game to the table on this ground.
Head-to-Head
Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Chennaiyin FC have met each other eight times in the ISL. On three occasions, the Mariners have been able to secure a victory. Meanwhile, the Marina Machans have won two clashes. The remaining three fixtures ended in draws.
Coach’s Corner
“We have really good wingers”
Mohun Bagan Super Giant head coach Jose Molina opened up on the role of his wingers and how he uses their skill sets to breach past the opposition’s defence.
“We try to use the full width of the pitch. We like to keep the wingers open. If they come in, then the full-backs can attack. We have really good wingers who are fast, really good in one-on-one situations and also powerful, they can score goals too. So, they are really important players,” Molina said.
“We have shown we can win in big arenas”
Chennaiyin FC head coach Owen Coyle acknowledged the strength of the opposition, but simultaneously backed his players to go all the way and clinch three points in Kolkata.
“It will be a big game for us. Mohun Bagan have a huge budget and a great team. But, we have shown we can go to big arenas and win games. It will be our seventh game on the road, and huge credit to the players for what they have done so far,” Coyle said.
Key Players and Milestones
· Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Manvir Singh has notched three assists from an expected assist (xA) tally of 0.92. His xA differential in the ongoing edition is 2.08. Only NorthEast United FC’s Jithin MS (3.04) and Alaaeddine Ajaraie (2.69) have a better such rate than Singh.
· Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s Deepak Tangri has registered a passing accuracy of 89.5% (51 out of 57) in the opposition half in this ISL edition. This is also the highest such rate by any player who has attempted a minimum of 50 such passes.
· Irfan Yadwad has won 3.1 aerial duels per game in the ongoing ISL season. This is the best such rate by an Indian. Overall, he is behind his fellow teammate Ryan Edwards (3.4), Jamshedpur FC’s Stephen Eze (3.3) and NorthEast United’s Guillermo Fernandez (3.3). Moreover, only Ryan Edwards (31) has won more such duels than Yadwad (28) this season.
ISL Fantasy
Subhasish Bose (5cr)
The defender has earned the most ISL fantasy points (68) for the Mohun Bagan Super Giant this season
Wilmar Jordan Gil (9.6cr)
The Chennaiyin FC player has bagged the highest ISL fantasy points (41) in his team this season
Indian Super League is being streamed live free on JioCinema (English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam) and telecast live on Sports 18 — 3 (English, Hindi, Bengali and Malayalam), Asianet Plus (Malayalam). Additionally Sports 18 — 1, Sports 18 — 2 and Sports 18 — Khel is also telecasting select ISL matches LIVE.
