Chennaiyin FC crushed AFC Champions League qualifier (from India) FC Goa 4-1 win in the first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) playoff semifinal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.
Goa had to field the first team without Hugo Boumous and Brandon Fernandes. Boumous, due to their illness and injury. As the scoreline suggests, they were utterly missed. Boumous has 11 goals and ten assists this season, and Brandon, who is deadly from set-pieces, were missed on the pitch.
After an inconsequential first half, Chennaiyin scored four goals within a span of 25 minutes. Lucian Goian, Anirudh Thapa, Eli Sabia and Lallianzuala Chhangte scored for Chennaiyin FC. Substitute Savior Gama scored a crucial away goal.
Chennaiyin, who have a great run for last nine matches, went ahead 1-0 just after the break, as Goian score the opening goal from a centre from Rafael Crivellaro. Thapa was tireless shift along with Vanspaul, who won the ball in midfield and initiated the move leading to his partner’s goal.
Seven minutes later, as Thapa was allowed some, he hit a swerving strike from a distance. Chhangte, who along with Thapa, covered the most distance in the game, capping his evening off by smashing in Chennaiyin’s fourth goal. Right-back Laldinlian Ralte also continued his impressive season, while substitute Germanpreet Singh played his part in Sabia’s goal.
Manvir Singh and Seminilen Doungel were the replacements for Brandon and Boumous in the line-up for FC Goa, and they did not have the desired impact. Manvir had his first start in 12 matches, coming back against Kerala Blasters in December 1, 2019. The attacker was used as a target man, while top-scorer Ferran Corominas had to drop deep to help create chances.
It can be noted that Goa last played a competitive game ten days ago against Jamshedpur FC. Most of FC Goa players, like Corominas, Lenny Rodrigues, Ahmed Jahouh, Carlos Pena and Mourtada Fall, who are all having age more than 30, struggled to keep up with Chennaiyin’s intensity. Meanwhile, Chennaiyin played its third match within eight days and appeared to erergetic second half when they got four goal in quick succession.
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