Chennai, April 24 (IANS) On a high with a string of successive wins, Chennaiyin FC will be back on the road after five home games in a row to take on Jamshedpur FC in their 10th Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 fixture at the JRD Tata Complex in Jamshedpur on Saturday.

The Marina Machans carry a strong record into the contest, having won eight of their previous 16 meetings against the Red Miners across all competitions, compared to Jamshedpur’s three. Chennaiyin have also won four of the last five encounters between the sides, the other ending in a draw, and completed a double last season with an aggregate score of 10-3.

Despite that favourable history, head coach Clifford Rayes Miranda is expecting a stern test against one of the league’s more dynamic outfits, pointing to Jamshedpur’s ability to vary their approach in possession.

“We expect a very similar game (as compared to Inter Kashi) tomorrow, but against a much better-quality opponent, one that can play direct, compete in the air, and also play football when they want to. If you look at the attributes of their players, especially their foreign contingent, they are all comfortable on the ball. That makes them even more dangerous, because they have the ability to mix both styles. But as I said, we have to be ready. We have to fight, work hard, and operate as one unit. We need to take the game to them,” Miranda told the media on Friday.

“We want a result, we want to win the match. There are no two ways about it.”

Chennaiyin head into the fixture with a point from their previous outing and will be targeting all three as they look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the campaign. Currently 10th in the standings and seven points clear of the relegation zone, the Marina Machans will follow this fixture with successive away trips to Punjab FC and NorthEast United, before concluding their season at home against Bengaluru FC.

On maintaining motivation during the run-in, Miranda underlined the players’ commitment while calling for further improvement.

“I don’t need to give them any extra motivation; just a look at the table is enough. I can assure you, the players are trying. They are working hard and doing what is being asked of them. I have no complaints about their effort or their attitude. In terms of physical fitness, after such a long layoff, it hasn’t been easy, but they are putting in the work. To say they are not trying would be completely wrong.”

“Of course, I expect more from them. I want them to push beyond what we’ve shown so far,” he added.

Joining Miranda at the press conference was forward Daniel Chima Chukwu, who returns to familiar surroundings having previously featured for Jamshedpur. While acknowledging his connection with the club, the striker made it clear where his focus lies.

“It’s always good to come back here because I have a great relationship with everyone—the players, the staff, the fans. That being said, this is football. My time with Jamshedpur is over, and I’m with Chennai now. My job is to come here, do what I have to do for my team, and hopefully leave with a victory,” the forward said.

Chima also spoke about adapting to the current system under Miranda, drawing parallels with his experience in Europe: “Back in Europe, the style of play was quite similar to what the coach (Miranda) wants here. So I feel more accustomed to this approach than I did before.”

In terms of team news, Chennaiyin will be without Klusner Pereira for the trip after the fullback was forced off on his first start of the season against Mohammedan SC. Late calls will be taken on the availability of Farukh Choudhary and Irfan Yadwad.

–IANS

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