AIFF Super Cup Quarterfinal | The battle of the champions promise more grit than tactics

The AIFF Super Cup has gone through numerous obstacles before the viewers have finally gotten a stable quarter-final stage where all the qualified clubs would be committed. Amidst all this, the tournament’s defending champions, Bengaluru FC, are yet to play a single match after Mohun Bagan decided to give the Blues a walkover in the fourth pre-quarterfinal.

Both Bengaluru and Chennai have reigned supreme in their respective leagues and when they take on each other on Thursday it would be a no brainer to guess whom the Super Machans would be cheering for. The brilliant manner in which Chennai City beat FC Pune City 4-2 has already established the fact that Akbar Nawas not only has talented players in his side, something that many other ISL clubs have too, but also personalities who don’t mind stepping up when the situation demands it.

In the likes of Pedro Manzi, Nestor Gordillo and Sandro Rodriguez, the I-League side has a set of Spanish players who are at the core of their buildup and the passing football that they play stems from their technical superiority. Against Pune, three of the four goals that Chennai scored saw the Spanish trinity combine as Pune’s staunch defence failed to handle it making someone like Matthew Mills reeling behind Manzi. Although Bengaluru would be having players like Rahul Bheke, or Juanan, or Albert Serran at the back, they are known to have conceded goals for at times, e.g. a passing Jamshedpur FC side – something Carles Cuadrat would be wary of. 

The most interesting battle and in a way, the fulcrum of the match would be the midfield where Nestor and Sandro of Chennai would go up against Bengaluru’s Alex Barrera and Dimas Delgado. Whenever the midfield has been strong, BFC’s lynchpin, Delgado, has struggled to create and today’s match will be no different. Stopping them from linking up with Manzi up top would the quintessential responsibility for Bengaluru FC and to further complicate things, Chennai City’s ability to seamlessly change their formation could also be a huge threat.  

However, while the midfield could be a threat for Chennai, Bengaluru’s top three forwards – Miku, Sunil Chhetri, and Udanta Singh could be equally dangerous for the I-League champions especially in the absence of the experienced Roberto Eslava. Defender Gaurav Bora was a culprit for both of Pune’s goals and his work will be doubled against BFC’s attack. Goalkeeper Mauro Boerchio would need to step up for Chennai to snatch any kind of miracle today. All in all, with the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities all clearly known to each side, Thursday's match would be more about will power than genius tactics.