After enjoying the lion’s share of possession for most of the match, Chennaiyin FC came away empty-handed after losing 1-0 to Mumbai City FC in the opener on Thursday. They will look to make their possession count when they face ISL Cup champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday.
Against a Mohun Bagan Super Giant attack featuring Dimitri Petratos and Jamie Maclaren, Chennaiyin FC will have to make the most of their chances and convert opportunities in the final third if they are to register their first win of the campaign.
«We had possession in good areas in our game against Mumbai, and we created chances – not clear cut chances, but we did create chances. The last part is always the most difficult. We have to improve there and, as the season goes on, hopefully we will,» coach Clifford Miranda said at the pre-match press conference.
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«We have to work on our attack, just as we work on our defence. In the same way, we have to focus on our final third conversion,» he added.
Chennaiyin also left out defender Ankit Mukherjee and forward Farukh Choudhary in the previous match. When asked if it was a tactical decision or due to injury issues, Miranda said the players were unavailable due to minor fitness issues.
«They are not available because of some minor issues, not injuries, but in terms of match fitness. They are coming back from injuries they sustained two or three weeks ago and are in the final stages of recovery, which is why I have not included them. I will lose my job if I keep players like Farukh out,» he said.
In two weeks, Miranda will also face one of his former clubs. He was assistant manager to Juan Ferrando during the 2023-2024 season at Mohun Bagan. Asked if his previous partnership offers any tactical advantage, he said: «They have good players now under a different coach. They play in a much more fluid way compared to when I was there, so there is no advantage per se.»
Mohun Bagan started the season with a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters FC and will look to collect another three points, while rivals East Bengal FC already have six points from two wins at the top of the table.
Published on February 22, 2026
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