Struggling Chennaiyin meets Odisha in crucial contest

Odisha FC is all set to take on Chennaiyin FC in what is a crucial Indian Super League (ISL) 2019-20 encounter at the Kalinga Stadium here on Monday.

A win against Chennaiyin will take Odisha (12 points) to within a point of fourth-placed Mumbai City FC. And with the league entering a decisive phase, Josep Gombau’s side cannot afford a slip-up. CFC is also at a stage where anything other than three points could render the gap between it and the top four clubs too much to cut down.

It currently has nine points but a win will see it draw level with Odisha. The big worry for Chennaiyin has been its inability to string a couple of wins together. It has just two victories in nine games and is yet to win consecutive ISL matches since the start of last season. The visitor is also yet to keep a clean sheet under Scotsman Owen Coyle, who has been in charge for three games.

The inconsistent displays from captain Lucian Goian have not helped. Thankfully, centre-back Eli Sabia has returned after suspension. “Whether we are playing home or away, we treat matches in the same manner. We have great respect for Odisha but if we change our philosophy it will be detrimental. We have some great goal scorers. We have to be positive,” said Coyle.

CFC’s attack will most definitely revolve around Rafael Crivellaro. The Brazilian playmaker has been exceptional in the last three fixtures under Coyle. He was involved in four goals (2 goals and 2 assists) in these games and has created 21 chances so far, second only to FC Goa’s Brandon Fernandes.

For all the emphasis on the possession-based philosophy that Gombau advocates, results have been a mixed bag for his team. However, it is coming off a 2-1 win over Jamshedpur FC and will look to continue its form. But Gombau must fix his side’s vulnerability on set-pieces. OFC has also had trouble closing out games.

It generally tends to perform better in the first half before running out of steam in the second. Of the 13 goals it has scored, only five have come in the second half and 10 out of the 15 goals it has shipped have been in the final period. The Odisha think-tank must figure out the reason behind this trend and find a remedy soon.

“We have created a lot of chances. Of course, we have to score more goals. We have to be confident going forward. Defensively, we have to improve. Under coach Gombau, we are trying to do that. We will go for a win (on Monday),” said Jacobo Varela, Odisha FC’s assistant coach.