The Indian Super League match will kick off at 7:30pm IST, and can be live streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website in India. It will be live telecast on the Sports18 network in India.

The big news from the home camp is that 24-year-old forward Kiyan Nassiri is back in the starting line-up. As for Hyderabad, captain Alex Saji returns to the starting XI and both Soyal Joshy, Allan Paulist will start.

CFC and HFC have faced off 11 times in the Indian Super League so far, with Hyderabad and Chennaiyin winning four games apiece. Three matches ended in a draw.

We are minutes away from the start. Both teams are out on the pitch and the national anthem is being played. The Marine Arena is slowly filling up for tonight's exciting clash.

We have the kick-off in Chennai and Kiyan Nassiri makes an impact straight away. The Chennaiyin forward lets rip a shot at goal from his left foot but the ball flies wide of the post.

The hosts are ahead! Irfan Yadwad scores in the fifth minute with a left-footed shot while cutting in from the left of the box. He was assisted by Lukas Brambilla with an intelligent through ball. Chennaiyin have the perfect start.

The Marina Machans have tasted blood and are dominating proceedings. Hyderabad have had a chronic issue of conceding early goals this season. In fact, this was their 12th in the first half overall in ISL 2024-25 - the most for any team.

Some indifferent luck for the visitors denies them an equalizer. They have hit the post twice in the space of three minutes. First, Andrei Alba hits the woodwork with a right-footed shot following a corner. Then, captain Alex Saji clatters the upright with a right-footer from the centre of the box.

Elsinho replaces the injured Chennaiyin captain Ryan Edwards on the pitch. Meanwhile, the hosts miss out on a couple of goal-scoring opportunities. Kiyan's shot off a corner is too high, while Irfan's attempt after an assist from Laldinliana Renthlei goes wide of the post.

We have a sizeable four minutes of stoppage time in the first half, mainly due to Edwards' injury and the attention he needed. And just as we say this, Elsinho, who had replaced Edwards, goes down clutching his ankle. He is fine, thankfully and gets back up and about.

That's half time, and the players walk off the pitch tired from the sapping Chennai humidity. The hosts have called the shots so far. Can the Nawabs mount a comeback? We will find out on the other side. Stay tuned for the second half.

Hyderabad have made a swifter start in the second half, pressing forward and trying to put the Chennaiyin defenders under pressure. It is the final third where the visitors have been lacking mainly, and that's what they would need to rectify if they are to make a match of this.

This is what we were just talking about. The ball falls kindly in the Chennaiyin box for Cy Goddard, whose shot flies way over the bar. This was as good a chance as Hyderabad would get to equalize. But not to be.

Both teams unleash a number of changes. Edmilson Correia comes in for Allan Paulista and Rodrigues is in for Adhikari for the Nawabs. As for the Machans, Kiyani goes off and Farukh Choudhary comes in for him, and Mandar Dessai is in for Elsinho.

Chennaiyin's Lalrinliana Hnamte is shown the yellow card for an elbow barge. Could well have been a red, this and he is lucky to stay on the pitch.

Irfan Yadwad sends in a dangerous ball across the Hyderabad box bit none of the charging Chennaiyin attackers get close to it. That was a probing ball that caught the Nawabs unaware and a touch in would have sufficed for goal number two.

We are into the seventh minute of added time out of a total of 10, and Connor Shields is ejected, getting his second yellow card, for what the referee deems time wasting. He trudges off, not impressed. Chennaiyin down to 10 for the last two minutes or so.

That's it. The final whistle is sounded, and the Marina Machans emerge victors, albeit just about. The last few minutes were tense, with tempers flaring up, and the hosts just about did enough to hold on to their slender one-goal advantage. The victory ends their three-match losing streak and takes them to the seventh place in ISL standings. As for Hyderabad, they continue to languish in the 12th spot.

Chennaiyin will next travel to Mumbai to face Mumbai City on December 21, while Hyderabad will host NorthEast United at the Gachibowli Stadium on December 23.