Midfield woes
Chennaiyin FC coach Bozidar Bandovic has work to do in his midfield though as chances have not been created as much as they should have.
"We need to improve in attacking and decision making. I believe for the future of the team, we need to make a stronger team. We have prepared well and we need to try and move the ball. The most important game is tomorrow," Bandovic said in the pre-match virtual interaction with the media.
Chennaiyin FC defender Sajid Dhot, who accompanied the coach at the press conference, said their focus is more on keeping clean sheets. "If you don't concede any goal, you can score and win the game at any moment. That's more important," said Sajid, who scored a goal during the team's 1-1 draw against Hyderabad FC in the last match.
Defensive lapses
NorthEast United dropped to the bottom of the ISL table after SC East Bengal recorded their first win of the campaign, further bringing to the fore the Highlanders' plight this season.
Khalid Jamil's side are currently on a five-match winless run and they need to arrest the slide fast in order to stay relevant.
Steady ship
The defence has been porous to say the least, leaking 25 goals so far, the most by any team this season.
They were comprehensively beaten by Odisha FC in the last fixture and Jamil would hope they can steady their ship with a win on Saturday. The last time the two teams met, Chennaiyin logged a 2-1 win.
Kick off details/Head-to-head record
Venue: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda
Date: Saturday, January 22
Kick off time: 7:30 PM IST
Live Telecast: Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 3 channels.
Live Streaming: Disney+HotStar
Head-to-Head record:
Matches: 15
Chennaiyin FC won: 4
NorthEast United FC won: 6
Draw: 5
Goals scored
Chennaiyin FC: 23
NorthEast United FC: 26