Chennaiyin FC will aim to get back to winning ways in the Indian Super League when it hosts rival Bengaluru FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
The visitor, playing for the first time since parting ways with coach Simon Grayson, will want to end its six-match winless run.
CFC coach Owen Coyle is not taking the challenge lightly, as he believes the Bengaluru players will be hungry to perform under interim coach Renedy Singh.
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“I don’t think being under a new coach makes BFC vulnerable. They will be even more dangerous, and we have to respect that. However, we know that we can stand toe-to-toe with anyone when we are at our best, and we have to focus on that to win,” Coyle said ahead of the game.
With nine points from nine matches, CFC stands eighth on the table. The side squandered a two-goal lead and shared points in its previous two outings against Jamshedpur FC and Kerala Blasters, respectively.
“We know we should have picked up more points in the previous games, but the essence of what we are doing is good, and we just have to bring everything together,” Coyle said.
“I would say we are the most exciting team in the league because we are committed to our attacking style, but we also want to nullify the goals we are conceding,” he added.
BFC is ninth on the table with just seven points from nine games, and an away victory in the crucial tie will give its campaign a much-needed boost.