The first of the two Indian Super League (ISL) clashes on Sunday sees new entrants Bengaluru FC take on the might of South Indian neighbours Chennaiyin FC at the Sree Kanteerava stadium. The rivalry between the two states from which the two teams hail from, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, might add some spicy undertone to this encounter.
| Game | Bengaluru FC v Chennaiyin FC |
| Date | Sunday, December 17 |
| Time | 5:30 PM IST (GMT +5:30) |
TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM
The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL. The games will be telecast with the option of English and/or Hindi commentary over their bouquet of television as well as digital platforms.
| India (English) TV channel | Online streams |
|---|---|
| Star Sports 2/HD | Hotstar and Jio TV |
Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.
| Hindi TV channel | Bengali TV channel |
|---|---|
| Star Sports Hindi 1/ HD | Jalsha Movies/HD |
| Malayalam TV channel | Kannada TV channel |
|---|---|
| Asianet Movies/HD | Suvarna Plus/HD |
TEAM NEWS
BENGALURU FC:
Injured - Abhra Mondal
Doubtful - None
Suspended: None
Key Players - Miku, Chhetri
CHENNAIYIN FC:
Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended: None
Key Players - Jeje, Raphael Augusto
GAME PREVIEW
When Albert Roca's charges welcome Chennaiyin FC at their home turf on Sunday evening, it is expected to be a battle between a smooth attacking unit and a robust defensive outfit which has gained a reputation for being stingy.
Bengaluru FC have already scored 13 goals in five games so far, with striker Miku turning in clinical performances game after game, capitlaising on the service provided by the instrumental Edu Garcia in midfield.
However, lending a touch of solidity to their defence is the return of Indian international Gurpreet Singh Sandhu between the stciks after his two-game suspension he picked up after receiving a red card against FC Goa.
It has to be noted that Chennaiyin FC have been defensively solid at the back after their manic opening game where a ruthless FC Goa side put three goal past them in one half. Since then, Chennaiyin have conceded just three goals in four games and have notched up three wins.
John Gregory has his team well-drilled at the back with a very physical central defensive pairing of Mailson Alves and Henrique Sereno complimented well by Inigo Calderon and Dhanpal Ganesh. Moreover, they are all very good in the air - something against which Bengaluru FC struggled in their previous game against FC Pune City.
Bengaluru FC's midfield duo of Dimas Delgado and Erik Paartalu struggled against the physical nature of Pune's game and they could be up against more of the same when Chennaiyin come visiting.
All in all, it points towards a tactical game in the making.