ISL 2015: Delhi Dynamos vs NorthEast United - Preview, Live stream & TV channel info, Team News, Prediction, Betting Odds
It’s been a contrasting tale for Delhi Dynamos and NorthEast United in the Indian Super League (ISL) so far. The home side sit comfortably in the second spot in the standings, knowing that a win against Cesar Farias' men will put them top of the ISL. For NorthEast United though, it has been a similar story as last season as they find themselves battling in the wrong end of the tournament. The side presently languish in the seventh place, having registered just two wins so far.
After a string of away fixtures, Dynamos will finally return home to the Jawarharlal Nehru Stadium in the capital. Having registered three wins on the road, the side are among the favourites to progress to the play-off stages, but their lack of goals this term has been a bit of concern. Having scored a mere five goals in six games, the Dynamos frontline hasn’t really started hitting so far and against NorthEast it could be the perfect opportunity to regain some lost confidence.
For the away side though, this is a must win match if they wish to claim their spot in the latter stages of the tournament. With the tournament reaching its midway point, a win for Farias’s men could see them climb as high as sixth in the table if the other results go their way. The game also marked the return of former Dynamos midfielder Bruno Arias.
Kick-off Time and Live Telecast
Live Telecast: StarSports 1 & 2, StarSports HD1 & HD2
Live Streaming: starsports.com
Date and Time: Tuesday, 3rd November 2015 – 1900 IST
Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - Delhi
Live updates on Sportskeeda
Team News
Delhi Dynamos
Roberto Carlos will be forced to make changes to his side due to the absence of Souvik Chakraborty, who is serving a one-match suspension for his red card. 31-year old Anwar Ali could see himself drafted into the starting XI to fill the void left by the full back.
Up-front though, the Brazilian could look to hand a start to Gustavo Dos Santos who came on from the bench to score the winner against Atletico de Kolkata with Richard Gadze making way.
The Brazilian was instrumental in the side’s previous home fixture and his pace could be a deciding factor against a rather bleak NorthEast defense.
NorthEast United
The advantage for the Venezuelan head coach, is the presence of the entire squad for selection. With Simao gaining fitness as well, Cesar Farias is confident his side can turn things around in the ISL.
Against a rather slow Delhi defense, Farias could opt to start with both Velez and Dadzie using their pace to play on the counter. Simao is expected to captain the side and start. With Farias having freedom to experiment and rotate with the squad, it will be interesting to see if he opts to give Diomansy Kamara a start against Anwar Ali who might play in a makeshift position.
Probable line-ups
Delhi Dynamos XI: Doblas, Riise, Anas, Anwar, Ralte, Mulder, Malouda, Dos Santos, Chicao, Robin, Francis
NorthEast United XI: Rehenesh, Hengbart, Bikey, Ralte, Singh, Pradhan, Simao, Haokip, Hangal, Velez, Dadzie
Key Battles
Hengbart vs Malouda
Despite not being on the scoresheet on regularly, Florent Malouda has made sure that his presence has made an impact on the performance of Delhi Dynamos. The Frenchman has been a pivotal figure when going forward for the Indian capital-based side. While not being on the scoresheet more often will be a worrying factor, but it is Malouda’s experience and his ability to create chances for his team-mate that has come to the fore.
Cedric Hengbart will need to stand tall against the former Chelsea midfielder if he has to make sure NorthEast have a fair chance in the game. The experienced central defender has the ability to dominate the aerial balls and has shown his man marking prowess as well this season, albeit rarely. This is arguably the toughest task for the French defender so far in the ISL, and it will be interesting to see who comes out stronger in this battle of the Frenchmen.
Simao vs Chicao
One of the most eye catching battles in the game will be that of Simao and Chicao. The Portuguese though despite being on the scoresheet once hasn’t really stamped his authority on the tournament so far, with injuries hampering his game.
The Brazilian on the other hand has been one of the coups of the season and has become a pivotal figure amongst the famed team-mates of his. The former Corinithians midfielder came out strong against Elano, and it could well be a similar battle against the former Barcelona winger.
The game could well be an opportunity for the 36-year old to showcase his abilities and woo the crowd, further kickstarting NorthEast’s season in this second edition of the ISL. For Chicao though, its been a contrasting story. The Club World Cup winner has done well to adjust to the surroundings in India and has quickly become one of the fan favourites in Delhi.
What might play to Chicao’s advantage though, is that at 36, Simao lacks the pace to run past oppositions and hence it will be fairly easy to man mark the Portuguese, but there is no denying that on his day, Simao could well light up the stadium.
Prediction
The Den Network owned squad are in a rich vein of form right now and come out as favourites against a struggling NorthEast side. The away side lack cohesion and are short of confidence at present and the form and attacking prowess of Carlos’s men could be too hot to handle.
Delhi Dynamos 2-0 NorthEast United