NEUFC, Chennaiyin FC battle for bragging rights

With hopes of a playoff berth long over, two of the bottom three teams this season will fight it out to finish higher on the table when NorthEast United FC host Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.The 12th-placed NorthEast United FC will host Chennaiyin FC — No. 13 on the ISL table — in their penultimate match of the campaign with hopes of changing their home win against Inter Kashi in the last match into a momentum to carry them to the finish line.“There are two more games in the season, but the most important one is this one. We must bring back the positive winning mentality,” NEUFC coach Juan Pedro Benali said at the pre-match press conference in Guwahati.“We need veterans to step forward and bring that experience and calmness onto the pitch for the youngsters. It hasn’t been easy, but the group has stayed positive. The youngsters are pushing hard, the veterans are keeping everyone together, and we hope for a good result.”However, the Spaniard will be well aware of their rivals’ motivation to return to winning ways after Chennaiyin lost their last two matches, the most recent a narrow 1-0 defeat to Punjab FC.“There’s one thing about the dynamics of this game — NEUFC want to win it as much as we do,” Chennaiyin head coach Clifford Miranda said during the club’s media interaction.“We have lost six games this season and, apart from the one against Jamshedpur, all were close ones. We had a lot of chances; we had our moments but could not convert them. That has been our story so far.”While Chennaiyin will once again bank on the experience of Alberto Noguera and Daniel Chima Chukwu to lead the youthful energy of Farukh Choudhary and Imran Khan, NEUFC will rely on veteran Andy Rodriguez to marshal an attack supported by youngsters Parthib Gogoi, Mohammed Arshaf and Macarton Nickson, along with season signings Jairo Samperio, Lalrinzuala and Lalbiakdika.Miranda also heaped praise on the versatile Highlanders playmaker Jithin MS, and the India international will once again look to play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the contest in favour of the home side and its fans.With hopes of a playoff berth long over, two of the bottom three teams this season will fight it out to finish higher on the table when NorthEast United FC host Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.The 12th-placed NorthEast United FC will host Chennaiyin FC — No. 13 on the ISL table — in their penultimate match of the campaign with hopes of changing their home win against Inter Kashi in the last match into a momentum to carry them to the finish line.“There are two more games in the season, but the most important one is this one. We must bring back the positive winning mentality,” NEUFC coach Juan Pedro Benali said at the pre-match press conference in Guwahati.“We need veterans to step forward and bring that experience and calmness onto the pitch for the youngsters. It hasn’t been easy, but the group has stayed positive. The youngsters are pushing hard, the veterans are keeping everyone together, and we hope for a good result.”However, the Spaniard will be well aware of their rivals’ motivation to return to winning ways after Chennaiyin lost their last two matches, the most recent a narrow 1-0 defeat to Punjab FC.“There’s one thing about the dynamics of this game — NEUFC want to win it as much as we do,” Chennaiyin head coach Clifford Miranda said during the club’s media interaction.“We have lost six games this season and, apart from the one against Jamshedpur, all were close ones. We had a lot of chances; we had our moments but could not convert them. That has been our story so far.”While Chennaiyin will once again bank on the experience of Alberto Noguera and Daniel Chima Chukwu to lead the youthful energy of Farukh Choudhary and Imran Khan, NEUFC will rely on veteran Andy Rodriguez to marshal an attack supported by youngsters Parthib Gogoi, Mohammed Arshaf and Macarton Nickson, along with season signings Jairo Samperio, Lalrinzuala and Lalbiakdika.Miranda also heaped praise on the versatile Highlanders playmaker Jithin MS, and the India international will once again look to play a decisive role in shaping the outcome of the contest in favour of the home side and its fans.