Defending champion Hyderabad FC takes on Chennaiyin FC in the Hero Indian Super League football at the GMC Balayogi Stadium here on Thursday.
HFC is second on the points’ table with 31 points from 13 games behind table-topper Mumbai City (33) while Chennaiyin has 15 from 12 to be seventh.
In front of a home crowd, HFC will aim to carry on the momentum from its emphatic 3-1 win over FC Goa in the last away game thanks to a brilliant hat-trick by Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Bartholomew Ogbeche, right, has been in superb touch for Hyderabad FC during this edition of the Indian Super League. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Chennaiyin came back from 0-2 down to register a point away against Jamshedpur in the last round and will hope to put on a similar performance in this game as well.
The likes of Petar Sliskovic, Julius Duker, Aakash Sangwan, Vincy Barretto, Edwin Vanspaul and Vafa Hakhamaneshi alongside Anirudh Thapa, who returned from injury, have all been in fine form for Chennaiyin in recent games.
“Chennaiyin are a very strong team and are currently in a position where they have to win to qualify,” said HFC head coach Manolo Marquez.
For HFC, the likes of Bartholomew Ogbeche, Javi Siverio, Borja Herrera, Joel Chianese, Mohammad Yasir, Halicharan Narzary, Abdul Rabeeh and Rohit Danu have all been in impressive form in front of goal.
Odei Onaindia, Nim Dorjee Tamang, Nikhil Poojary and Akash Mishra have been superb at the back while Gurmeet Singh has hardly put a foot wrong, and together stand as the best defence in the league this season.
The visitors will miss the services of Abdenasser El Khayati and Rahim Ali, both of whom are out injured.
HFC has Joao Victor and Laxmikant Kattimani still on the sidelines ahead of this tie.
Match starts at 7.30 p.m.
