The Matchday 11 double-headers of the 131st IndianOil Durand Cup, present two contrasting games in Imphal and Kolkata respectively. While the Group C Hyderabad FC-Chennayin FC game at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal, will showcase the very top echelons of Indian football at their full strength, the FC Goa-Jamshedpur FC Group A game at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, will give us a sneak-peak into its future stars.
A clash of the Titans
The first Matchday 11 game features present Indian Super League (ISL) champions Hyderabad FC (HFC) and two time ISL winners Chennayin FC (CFC) and both at full strength as well, promising a blockbuster at the Khuman Lampak.
Manolo Marquez coached HFC looked in total control of their first game against local favourites TRAU FC with their Spanish midfielder Borja Herrera controlling and distributing with elan.
The goal’s by Borja himself and by Halicharan Narzary reflected the quality in their side and it would be fair to say that they were not pushed in that game, so that is one aspect that Marquez will be wary of against Chennayin. As he will also be with the overall finishing of the side.
Chennayin also displayed the same quality, at least with the Edwin Vanspaul strike and also scored a couple of goals like their Friday opponents. But they also conceded two from set-pieces and their strikers including Croat Petar Sliskovic were also very wasteful, so German gaffer Thomas Brdaric will be hoping to tighten up those aspects.
A win is key to both teams, particularly to Chennayin, given the way the group is placed and there are no easy games in this group, so a highly competitive game can be expected.
Battle of the young Turks
The evening Group A game pits FC Goa against Jamshedpur FC (JFC) and both have brought along relatively younger sides with talents like Nemil and Vinil Poojary on either side, to name a few.
Goa have picked up a win in their previous game against the Air Force and will be buoyed by that while the Red Miners from Jamshedpur are still searching for one after having two tough outings against Bengaluru FC and Mohammedan FC. They will look at this as a chance to register a win.
Report- Pratyusha Mukherjee Source- Indian Army