ISL 2025-26: Jamshedpur eyes top two as Chennaiyin looks for key points to avoid relegation battle

Jamshedpur FC will look to return to winning ways at home after a 0-2 defeat to Kerala Blasters FC. The Men of Steel have shown defensive solidity, conceding just eight goals so far, but have struggled in attack, scoring just nine in as many games.

Madih Talal is expected to return to the starting line-up after coming off the bench in the previous match and will serve as the main creative outlet, with Raphael Messi Bouli leading the charge. In team news, head coach Owen Coyle confirmed that Albino Gomes will start in goal, while Stephen Eze is likely to be suspended and Sourav Das will miss due to injury.

Currently, Jamshedpur FC are on 15 points and could rise as high as second place with a win and move up to 18, provided other results take their course.

Former Chennaiyin FC coach Owen Coyle acknowledged his familiarity with the opposition while maintaining a results-oriented approach. «It helps in understanding their players and strengths. They have very good players like Farukh Chaudhury, Irfan Yadwad and Daniel Chima Chukwu. But during the match, my only focus is to win for Jamshedpur. It will be good to see familiar faces but both teams will be fully competitive,» he said.

Goalkeeper Albino Gomes reflected on the team’s mentality ahead of the match. «The pressure is there, but it’s good pressure. Everyone works hard in training and we have to bring that effort into the match to get a positive result,» he said.

Chennaiyin FC, meanwhile, dropped crucial points after being held to a goalless draw by Mohammedan SC in their previous outing. With the Marina Machans yet to establish a consistent rhythm this season, head coach Clifford Miranda will be focusing on a positive run of results from this match onwards.

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Despite having attacking options like Irfan, Farukh and Daniel Chima Chukwu, goals were few and far between, with Chennaiyin FC scoring just six, the second fewest in the league, after Mohammedan SC’s four. Chennaiyin FC is currently in tenth place with nine points and can climb to eighth place if they win.

In the head-to-head encounters in the Indian Super League, Chennaiyin FC have a clear lead over Jamshedpur FC, having won eight of their 16 encounters, while Jamshedpur FC have registered three wins, with five matches ending in a draw. In terms of goals scored, Chennaiyin FC have scored 31 goals in these matches compared to Jamshedpur FC’s 21.

Miranda provided a candid assessment of recent achievements and the challenge ahead. «In my opinion, the match against Inter Kashi was the worst match we have played this season. Until the 75th minute we were out of our element, both in attitude and in the way we approached the match. We were slow with the ball, too predictable and we could not match their energy. Tomorrow we expect a similar kind of match, but against a much better opponent,» he said.

Published on April 24, 2026