Teams from two ends of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 table will square off when bottom-placed Chennaiyin FC host table-toppers Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday. For Bengaluru, a win will seal their qualification to the play-offs, while last season's champions Chennaiyin will look to salvage some pride from what has been a disastrous season for them.

Current form would suggest Bengaluru are the overwhelming favourites going into the match. But with the intense rivalry between the two teams taking centre stage again in the South Indian Derby, we may very well see form take a back seat to the overwhelming emotions involved with the fixture.

Chennaiyin FC

Chennaiyin's title defence in Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 has been a torrid tale of anguish and disappointment as the team finds themselves rooted to the bottom of the table with just five points from 14 matches. With only pride to play for, a win over table toppers Bengaluru will go a long way to boost the team's faltering confidence and that should be enough motivation for John Gregory and Co to give their all on the field. Chennaiyin are currently in the midst of a six-match losing streak – their longest-ever in the Hero ISL.

The two-time champions have the worst defensive record this season among all the teams, having let in 27 goals so far. With captain Mailson Alves serving the last of his three-match suspension on Saturday, Chennaiyin will have their work cut out for them against a very potent Bengaluru attack. Gregory may hand new signing Christopher Herd his first Hero ISL start on Saturday, but the 29-year-old will most probably slot in as a defensive midfielder rather than taking up a spot the back four. The Australian came on as a second-half substitute during Chennaiyin's last match against Pune.

Chennaiyin have struggled on the offensive front too, scoring just 14 times in as many matches. The team's star striker Jeje Lalpekhlua has failed to score a single goal this season so far, while the likes of Carlos Salom and Mohammed Rafi have also failed to impress. The team roped in CK Vineeth from Kerala Blasters FC during the January transfer window and the veteran striker even found the net against Pune, albeit in a losing cause. Chennaiyin fans will hope Vineeth can add a few more to his goals tally on Saturday.

Here’s a look at Chennaiyin’s current season in numbers:

Bengaluru FC

In a nutshell, the long winter break seems to have upset Bengaluru's momentum a little. After going 11 matches unbeaten in Hero ISL 2018-19, Carles Cuadrat's men slumped to their first defeat of the season against Mumbai City FC in their first match after the league's restart. The Blues managed to narrowly defeat NorthEast in their second outing after the break, but in the following match against Kerala Blasters FC, they seemed destined for yet another loss after the team found themselves 2 goals down at half-time. It took a valiant second-half charge to rescue a point from the match, but that doesn't change the fact that the Blues have looked far from their usual best post the winter break. Despite the dropped points, Bengaluru's astounding run in the first half of the campaign still has them leading the standings and it's only a matter of time before they seal their qualification in the play-offs. However, Cuadrat will be aware of the importance of getting back into a consistent winning habit before the semi-finals begin and the match against Chennaiyin will be the perfect place to start.

On a more positive note, Bengaluru fans will take heart from the team's gritty second-half display against Kerala and the return of star striker Miku. The Venezuelan striker returned to the team after a long injury lay-off and was brought in as a second-half substitute with his team chasing the game. The 33-year-old had an immediate impact and played a big part in helping his team cancel out a two-goal deficit. Another big takeaway for Bengaluru from the second 45 minutes against Kerala will be Sunil Chhetri regaining his goal scoring touch after a long barren run. Fans may very well see the iconic Miku-Chhetri partnership lead Bengaluru’s attack against Chennaiyin on Saturday.

Here’s a look at Bengaluru’s current season in numbers:

PROBABLE LINE-UPS:

Chennaiyin FC: Karanjit Singh (GK), Tondonba Singh, Eli Sabia, Zohmingliana Ralte, Laldinliana Renthlei, Halicharan Narzary, Christopher Herd, Anirudh Thapa, Germanpreet Singh, Raphael Augusto (C), CK Vineeth.

Bengaluru FC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Nishu Kumar, Juanan, Albert Serran, Rahul Bheke, Erik Paartalu, Dimas Delgado, Udanta Singh, Harmanjot Khabra, Miku, Sunil Chhetri (C)

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Bengaluru have scored 7 goals against Chennaiyin in the Hero ISL, out of which Miku and Sunil have scored 6.
  • Bengaluru have conceded the least number of goals from set pieces (2) this season.
  • Chennaiyin have conceded the highest number of goals from set pieces (8) this season.

 FANSPEAK

Which striker will have the biggest impact?

  • CK Vineeth
  • Miku

Have your say in the comments section below.

Catch the match live on the Star Sports Network, Hotstar and Jio TV at 7.30 PM.