Having tasted their first victory of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 in their last match against FC Pune City, defending champions Chennaiyin FC will look to build on the win when they face off against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Sunday.

Jamshedpur have never won against the Marina Machans in the Hero ISL. In their two meetings last season, Chennaiyin won one while the other match ended in a draw.

Jamshedpur FC

After going undefeated in their first seven matches this season, Jamshedpur went down to Pune in their last outing earlier this week. Cesar Ferrando's men will be eager to bounce back from the loss with a victory over the defending champions on Sunday. A big blow for Jamshedpur in the Pune match was the absence of top scorer Sergio Cidoncha. The Spaniard reportedly picked up a knee injury which ruled him out against the Stallions and will keep him out of the upcoming match too. However, Tim Cahill, who also missed the Pune match because of his farewell match for Australia, is expected to be available for selection against Chennaiyin. Ferrando seems to prefer using Cahill as an impact sub but may start with him in Cidoncha's absence.

One of the major issues for Jamshedpur this season has been their wastefulness in front of goal. Despite playing some good football and creating a lot of chances, their goal conversion rate has let the Miners down time and again. In their defeat to Pune, Jamshedpur took 14 shots at goal but managed to score only once.

The Miners have had their troubles in defence too, leaking in soft goals. The team has failed to keep a clean sheet in their last seven matches. The last time Tiri and co. managed to shut out the opposition was in their opening match of the season against Mumbai City FC.

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

Chennaiyin FC

The defending champions had a horrid start to the season and could only pick up a single point from their first six outings. The tide finally turned for them in their last match against Pune. Chennaiyin's brilliant second-half charge saw them come from behind to register a 4-2 victory over the Stallions. Head coach John Gregory will be eager to hold onto the momentum and string together a series of victories to stay in the race for a playoff spot.

Despite their stellar showing against Pune in the final 45 minutes, Gregory has some serious issues to address if they are to mount a challenge for a top four spot. The biggest among these is the lack of goals from the forwards. Out of the nine goals scored by Chennaiyin this season, only one has come from a striker. Chennaiyin's all-time top goal scorer Jeje Lalpekhlua is yet to find the net this season while Palestinian striker Carlos Salom has been mediocre at best, netting just a single goal in six matches. In fact, of the six individual scorers who have registered their names on the score sheet for Chennaiyin this season, three are defenders.

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

PROBABLE LINE-UPS:

Jamshedpur FC: Subrata Paul (GK), Raju Gaikwad, Tiri (C), Robin Gurung, Bikash Jairu, Mario Arques, Pablo Morgado, Jerry Mawhmingthanga, Carlos Calvo, Michael Soosairaj, Tim Cahill

Chennaiyin FC: Karanjit Singh (GK), Eli Sabia, Inigo Calderon, Mailson Alves (C), Jerry Lalrinzuala, Anirudh Thapa, Raphael Augusto, Germanpreet Singh, Thoi Singh, Gregory Nelson, Jeje Lalpekhlua

DID YOU KNOW?

• Chennaiyin forwards have only managed to score one goal this season.
• Chennaiyin have conceded a total of 13 goals this season, out of which 9 have been conceded in the first-half.
• Jamshedpur are yet to win a Hero ISL match against Chennaiyin.

FANSPEAK

Which captain will inspire his team to a victory?

• Tiri
• Mailson Alves

Catch the match live on the Star Sports Network, Hotstar and Jio TV from 7:30 PM