A keen battle of table toppers

It’s that phase in the Indian Super League (ISL) where teams hoping to become champions are beginning to stake claim.

For Chennaiyin FC, the league’s second-placed team, it starts against Atletico de Kolkata (ATK) on Tuesday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

It will mark the start of a frenetic period for Chennai. Four games will be played in the next 14 days, including three against the two of the best teams in the league so far — ATK and NorthEast United FC and one against Pune FC.

Table-topper Kolkata is coming off a well-earned rest. After having played five games in the first 14 days, it hasn’t taken the field for more than a week.

A bit of rustiness is a given, but the team’s marquee signing Luis Garcia, who is returning after an injury lay-off, sought to look at the positives.

 “It was important that we got that rest,” he said.

“We played a lot at the start. So this (rest) has been good and it will help us approach the game better.”

 It will be interesting how the match unfolds. Unlike Chennai’s previous opponents, Mumbai City FC, ATK doesn’t play with a high-defensive line.

Both sides, at least on available evidence, look content on sitting back and hitting on the counter.

“Yes. It has been one of our strategies,” said Chennai’s player-manager Marco Materazzi.

“But we have scored 10 goals so far. So it is not the only way. We want to see our fans happy by scoring more goals.”

A major reason for Chennai’s thumping 5-1 win against Mumbai was the effectiveness of the Materazzi-Elano-John Stiven Mendoza combination. Materazzi neutralised Nicolas Anelka’s attacking thrust by employing himself in a shielding role, while the other two wrecked havoc at the front.

A scare

However, the team was given a scare when Mendoza was down with fever a couple of days back. However Materazzi confirmed that the Colombian was fit though he remained non-committal on playing himself, in a role akin to his last, but this time to neutralise Luis Garcia.

Kolkata will continue to miss the services of Head Coach Antonio Lopez Habas in the dug-out and forward Fikru Lemessa on the pitch, both of whom are serving suspensions.

Baljit Singh Sahni acquitted himself well in the latter’s absence by scoring a goal in the previous match against Kerala Blasters and should continue to do so here.

For Chennai, defenders Jairo Andres Suarez Carvajal and Abhishek Das are out.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/football/indian-super-league-a-keen-battle-of-table-toppers/article6561703.ece