ISL 2024-25: Coach Coyle seeks strong show as Chennaiyin FC aim to bounce back against Hyderabad FC

Chennaiyin FC will be aiming for a strong response to their previous result when they take on Hyderabad FC in their third Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 encounter at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The two-time champions will also be looking for their second successive away win, having previously beaten Odisha FC in their opening encounter of the season. Speaking to the media ahead of the game, head coach Owen Coyle found positives in his side’s performance at home in the defeat to Mohammedan SC in their last match, while underlining what they needed to improve to return to winning ways.

“We started very well, and we could easily have been two or three goals in front, but we never scored [vs Mohammedan]. We have to be more clinical because we created some really good chances,” Coyle said.

“We know it was a great opportunity we let pass us by. But what we also know is that, within the game, we dominated the possession; we dominated 10 corners to two with 22 attempts at goal. What we need to do is we need to be more on target, repeatedly, because the more times we’re on target, the more chances of scoring goals.”

The head coach also highlighted the importance of sticking to the principles despite going behind: “The important thing is that when you lose a goal, as we did, whether it's from an error, whether it's somebody producing a little bit of magic, you know, somebody hitting one from 30 yards in the top corner, what has got to happen is that we still maintain the way we play. We don't, you know, start to panic. There's lots of time to get back in the game.”

Chennaiyin FC captain Ryan Edwards, who accompanied Coyle in the presser, echoed the head coach’s words, stating that the response from the team in training has been great. Edwards also highlighted the threat Hyderabad carry into the match.

“There's still obviously a lot of young players who were there last season, and we know what happened when we played them there. We gave them the first win. So we've got to bear that in mind and make sure we're right at it, as we were in Odisha and the first 30 minutes against Mohammedan the other night, because they're full of energy and willing to impress the coach,” Edwards said.

Hyderabad have lost their first two matches so far this season, losing against Punjab FC and Bengaluru FC.