ISL Matchday 28: Chennayin's lopsided record against Mumbai City in focus

While it might not always be the case, it is a common belief in the world of football that home advantage plays a crucial role in determining a side's fortune in a battle. How boisterous fans can give an edge to their side against opponents who possess superior technical ability and a winning mentality to boot remains a mystery.

However, there are many club sides around the world who have made their home ground a fortress. In the English Premier League, Chelsea went through a 86-game unbeaten spell at Stamford Bridge from the mid-to-late 2000s. Across the 20 editions of the Fifa World Cup that have been played, as many as six host nations have lifted the trophy.

One of the raging debates that the Indian Super League has thrown up in recent weeks is whether home advantage actually goes on to play a part in proceedings. It is not merely a numbers game either – ask Kerala Blasters.

It could be pinned down to various reasons: The Indian contingent being tossed and thrown across franchises with little or no emphasis on homegrown talent, many of the foreign players taking an age to acclimatise to the innumerable vagaries of Indian football, and that all the teams are quite evenly matched.

Battles between Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC so far, though, have moved away from familiar, or in this case, extremely unpredictable ISL script. The matches have been thoroughly one-sided and has brought out the absolute best of Marco Matterazzi, the manager.

Chennaiyin have won all their games against Mumbai in the most emphatic fashion. Across the four games that the sides have played, the reigning champions have scored 13 goals and conceded just one.

With Mumbai's new coach tightening the screws at the back, the dominant record is not something that Chennaiyin can hope to hang on to. Moreover, Matterazzi's side is still getting to grips with filling the Stiven Mendoza-shaped void up front.

A rusty Chennaiyin struggled early on in the season but have bounced back in their last four games, winning and drawing two. Importantly, they conceded only a solitary goal since Matterazzi was comfortably outwitted by his former Italian teammate and Delhi Dynamos coach Gianluca Zambrotta.

Matterazzi has pointed to to the 1-3 loss against the Dyanmos as the brains behind his side reverting to a back-to-the-basics approach, and that his team had to shrug off the euphoria of last season. "I think there is a little positive in that [Loss against Delhi Dynamos] because after that my players understood that they had to fight for every ball, that they had to have that hunger and that they had to forget the last year," he said

Mumbai couldn't have chosen a better time to put their dubious record against Chennaiyin behind them. The home side will be without the services of playmaker Hans Mulder, who is injured. Defender John Arne Riise is also a doubtful starter in the game.

Alexandre Guimares's side have also picked up form, winning two on the bounce prior to this fixture, and had they not panicked, they could have won against the Dynamos too. With both teams packing a solid punch with their backlines, there is every chance that the match could end in a goalless draw.

Diego Forlan might have opened his account for the season but still has a long way to go before getting anywhere close to the player that fans have been accustomed to over the years. Winger Sony Norde, who can change the game within the blink of an eye with his quick feet, is still Mumbai's go-to man if Matias Defederico doesn't start.

Chennaiyin do have a slight edge, having identified their winning spine so early in the season. There is also the small matter of owning an all-win record. A win would catapult Chennaiyin level on points with first-placed Atletico de Kolkata.

Match Facts

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai

Capacity: 27,000

Time: 7 pm IST

Last meeting: Chennaiyin FC 3-0 Mumbai City FC, December 1st 2015, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai

Head-to-head: Matches: 4, Chennaiyin wins: 4, Mumbai wins: 0

Expected lineups:

Chennaiyin FC: Karanjit Singh; Mehrajuddin Wadoo, Bernard Mendy, Eli Sabia, Jerry Lalrinzuala; Baljit Sahni, Manuele Blasi, Thoi Singh, Raphael Augusto; Davide Succi, Dudu

Mumbai City FC: Albino Gomes; Aiborlang Khongjee, Lucian Goian, Anwar Ali, Sena Ralte; Sehnaj Singh, Krisztian Vadocz, Gerson Vieira, Facundo Cardozo; Sony Norde, Diego Forlan

Key Battles

Mehrajuddin Wadoo vs Sony Norde

The Indian defender has easily been one of the best local talents on display in the league's brief history. Wadoo's astute positional awareness has helped him a great deal in maintaining an excellent balance between defence and attack. There have been very few occasions when opponents have have been successful in creating clear-cut openings from the left flank.

Wadoo will be tested to the hilt against the pace, power and trickery of Haitian Sony Norde. As mentioned earlier, Norde can burst into life at the game at any given point, and way this battle turns out could go on to shape the contest. Wadoo is the man in form, though, while Norde is yet to show form.

Raphael Augusto vs Krisztian Vadocz

The Brazilian is an all-action midfielder who lends energy and his team's crucial component in linking attack and defence. There is a good chance that he will supported by the energetic running of Thoi Singh. Vadocz, on the other hand is a offence-minded box-to-box midfielder who likes to get into goalscoring positions.

The Hungarian uses his intelligence to finds pockets of space and making forward runs. This is where Augusto and his ability to close down spaces and turn defence into attack swiftly will be a potent weapon for Chennaiyin.