Chennai, Feb 22 (IANS) Chennaiyin FC will look to register their first points of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season when they take on defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Kolkata, hoping to quickly move past their narrow defeat in the opener.
The Marina Machans began their campaign with a one-goal loss despite dominating possession and creating several promising attacking moves. Head coach Clifford Miranda, however, expressed satisfaction with the response from his squad in the lead-up to the clash.
“The reaction from my players has been fantastic, even after conceding a goal, even after losing a game, in the dressing room and in training. For me, they are a perfect example of professionalism and character at this moment,” Miranda told the media in his pre-match press conference on Sunday. “I have no complaints. They are giving everything they have, despite difficult circumstances. It was a long season and a long lay-off from last year, which made things tough. But this group is giving absolutely everything, and their attitude is fantastic.”
Miranda, who previously worked with Mohun Bagan, downplayed suggestions that his familiarity with the Kolkata outfit could offer an edge.
“They are good players, now under a different coach. They play in a much more fluid way compared to when I was there, so there’s no advantage as such. Football happens in the moment; you can’t pause it, fix it, and restart. It’s fluid. Apart from the fact that they are fantastic footballers and I’ve worked with them before, there’s no added advantage,” he said.
Joining Miranda at the press conference was Chennaiyin’s new signing Mohammed Ali Bemammer, who made his debut in the season opener. The Moroccan midfielder acknowledged the challenges of pre-season preparations but remained optimistic.
“I am very happy to be here with the players and working with the coach. The situation was difficult; it was a long period of training and preparation. It wasn’t easy. But now everything is fine. We are preparing for the match against Mohun Bagan. We know it will not be easy, but we will prepare very well,” Bemammer said. “We know we are playing against a good team with top players. We have prepared very well for this match. We are here to help the team.”
Miranda also elaborated on his tactical philosophy, stressing that systems are secondary to principles.
“It depends on our strength, on the opponent, and on the characteristics of both teams. including the players I have at my disposal. Whether it’s a 3-4-3, 4-2-3-1, or 4-3-3, for me it’s about principles of play. That doesn’t change. The system is just an extension of how we want to play.
“In the way we play, the front players have freedom of movement, but always within a structure. There is a positional framework that has to be respected. It’s not about a number 9 always staying between centre-backs or a winger hugging the touchline. There is fluidity, there is freedom, but they must respect the structure in terms of attacking movement.”
In 11 meetings across competitions, Mohun Bagan hold the edge with five wins to Chennaiyin’s two, while four matches have ended in draws.
–IANS
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