Hyderabad FC vs Chennaiyin FC: Who will win today's match?
Match No. 5 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 will see Hyderabad FC lock horns with Chennaiyin FC at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim.
After coming close to earning a playoff berth in the previous edition of the ISL, Manolo Marquez's Hyderabad FC will be eager to make amends having retained most of their players from last season.
They will have to put in a strong performance against two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC, who are eager for a turnaround after a disappointing campaign last season.
Here's a look at how the two ISL teams have shaped up for this clash:
Hyderabad FC Preview
The club has made some important additions to bolster its squad. Juanan Gonzalez, the former Bengaluru FC defender, has joined the club. Bartholomew Ogbeche, who had a terrific time with the Islanders, has also been added to the attacking division along with prolific winger Aniket Jadhav from Jamshedpur FC.
Edu Garcia, who also had a title-winning season with the erstwhile ATK, is now part of Hyderabad FC's midfield regime.
Chennaiyin FC Preview
After a below-par performance under Csaba Laszlo, Chennaiyin FC turned to a new face to fill in for the gaffer's role. The race was finally won by Bozidar Bandovic.
The head coach arrived and made a few changes to the Chennaiyin FC setup and how they would approach their season ahead. Having brought in the likes of Ninthoinganba Meetei, Jobby Justin, Deepak Devrani, Salam Ranjan Singh, Lukasz Gikiewicz, Mirlan Murzaev, Ariel Borysiuk, Vladimir Koman and Slavko Damjanovic, the head coach has made his intentions clear of making an instant impact.
Check out the list of all ISL Golden Boot winners here.
Hyderabad FC vs Chennaiyin FC Preview
It remains to be seen how drilled and seasoned both sides are and how they shape up for their first game of the season. This will serve as an interesting and yet nervy battle of tactics between Hyderabad FC and Chennaiyin FC.
Having finished fifth in the ISL table last season, the Nizams will look to draw inspiration from that run to start their new campaign on a winning note.
Prediction: Hyderabad FC 2 - 1 Chennaiyin FC