Chennaiyin FC will face Bengaluru FC on their home turf, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, on Saturday. The last year finalists will play their last South Indian derby this year because while Bengaluru FC leads the league in the points table, Chennaiyin FC is placed at the bottom.

Chennaiyin FC has had their worst ISL season so far. At the bottom of the league with one win and five points to their name, the team management has tried to salvage things during the winter transfer window but it is a case of too little too late. The reigning Champions will want to get back to their earlier ways of winning matches as they have to face the best Asian clubs later this year in the Asian Clubs Championship. Their new recruits, Halicharan Nazary and CK Vineet, who previously played for Bengaluru FC, are certain to start in the match against Bengaluru. Coach John Gregory will be hoping that the intensity in which the last year’s finals was played will ignite his players to a better performance in this game.

Bengaluru FC is placed at the top of the league but things haven’t gone really the way they are used to after the winter break. This year Mumbai City Fc first put an end to their eleven matches winning run and then they had to come from two down to draw the match against Kerala Blasters FC. Nevertheless, with 31 points from 14 games, they are well on their way to the playoffs. They would like to put it past Chennaiyin FC and get back to their winning ways. Miku, their Venezuelan striker, has recovered from his injury and is likely to start in the game against Chennaiyin.

Head to head

While the two clubs have come face to face four times in the past two years Chennaiyin FC has got the better of Bengaluru Fc all three times last year. This year Bengaluru FC has beaten Chennaiyin FC in the first leg of the league.

Current form of the two teams

Bengaluru FC has been in great form this season having lost only one of their 14 games. They have had three wins and a loss in their past six games while Chennaiyin FC is going into the game with five straight losses after a draw.

Players to watch out for

When Jeje Lalalpekhlua has not yet regained his touch, the player that they borrowed from Kerala Blasters, CK Vineet will be looking to put the ball into the back of the net of his former club Bengaluru.

With Miku back on the pitch, Bengaluru FC will rely on him and Sunil Chhetri to do the scoring for them. Udanta Singh will also be in the fray along with Erik Paartalu.

Prediction

Going by the current form of the two teams Bengaluru should walk out of this game victorious. I will predict a scoreline of 2-1 in favour of Bengaluru FC.