All eyes on Chennaiyin

Chennaiyin is currently fourth on the table with 28 points, two shy of third-placed Bengaluru FC. A draw or a defeat will mean it will face league topper FC Goa in the play-offs. Should it pick up a win over NEUFC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium here, a battle with second-placed ATK awaits it in the two-legged semi-finals.

A lot would depend on the plans of CFC head coach Owen Coyle, who is expected to hand an opportunity to his fringe players. Lucian Goian, Rafael Crivellaro and Nerijus Valskis have picked up three yellow cards this season and one more in the final league game would mean they miss the first leg of the play-offs.

It is highly unlikely that Coyle will take the risk by fielding them on Tuesday. “First of all, we want to win this game. We have three boys on three yellow cards. It will be really naive to put them on and take a risk. So, those players will be rested. Ultimately, you have to beat the best teams to win (the competition). Be it FC Goa or ATK. So when the play-offs come, we will think about it,” said Coyle.

Expect the likes of Rahim Ali, goalkeeper Karanjit Singh, Deepak Tangri and Aimol Reamsochung to be named in the starting XI. Should any of the above-mentioned players perform exceptionally well, it would pose a selection headache for Coyle ahead of the knockouts. Host NorthEast has its own battles to face.

It suffered a humiliating 1-5 loss against Hyderabad FC last week and NEUFC would be desperate to make amends in front of its home supporters and finish its season on a good note. It has been a disappointing campaign for NorthEast as it failed to get going after a good start. Injury to Ghanaian star Asamoah Gyan didn’t help its cause as it struggled to find the back of the net.

NorthEast could only manage 14 goals from 17 outings, averaging less than a goal per match. Interim coach Khalid Jamil has the unenviable task of ensuring the spirit within the squad remains high as the team plays its final fixture of the season.

“This is the last match. Everybody will give their best and we will try to finish on a winning note. Chennaiyin has a good team. It did not start well but has played really good in the final phase of the double round-robin stage. But I would like to give chances to the players who have not played many times this season,” said Jamil.