Margao, Jan 25 (IANS): Iker Guarrotxena and Aakash Sangwan scored a goal each in the first half as FC Goa defeated Chennaiyin FC 2-0 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday night. The Gaurs are placed second in the table with 33 points after this win, cutting the gap with the top-positioned Mohun Bagan Super Giant (37) to four points.
The loss also extended Chennaiyin FC’s winless run to six games, having last tasted a victory in the ISL during their 1-0 win against Hyderabad FC on December 11. FC Goa held total control over this game, keeping 58.6% of the possession and taking eight shots on target as opposed to none of Chennaiyin FC.
Guarrotxena got FC Goa ahead in the game with his sharp awareness inside the six-yard box. Following a corner, Boris Singh received the ball on the right flank. Boris curled in a cross that was mishandled by Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz. Brison Fernandes lapped upon the chance but his shot ricocheted off the woodwork, and Guarrotxena picked up the loose ball and hammered it into the high centre of the goal in the 11th minute.
Nawaz partly redeemed himself six minutes later, as Aakash Sangwan burst into the box following a fast break by the Gaurs and shot firmly from a narrow angle on the left side. Nawaz was forced to make an outstretched dive to get his hand at the end of the shot to save his side from conceding another strike. Sangwan did get the better of Nawaz in the 26th minute though, this time, from an even more difficult angle. The gameplay seemed straight out of the training ground of the Gaurs, as Guarrotxena enabled them to build pressure on the Chennaiyin FC defence.
Abruptly, he broke that passage of play by making a backward pass to Carl McHugh. Unmarked, McHugh played a lobbed ball over the Chennaiyin FC backline for Sangwan, who took a deft touch before castling the ball into the bottom left corner by beating Nawaz on the near post.
FC Goa stepped up the intensity following their second goal, embracing a more proactive outlook in dabbling with multiple ways to test the Chennaiyin FC defence.
Guarrotxena operated right down the middle and encountered a chance to triple the lead in the 31st minute. In a pocket of space with no Chennaiyin FC players around him, he unleashed a thunderous shot directed on target that had to be saved by Nawaz in the top centre of the goal. Whilst the Gaurs orchestrated multiple incisive attacking moves, Chennaiyin FC struggled to create meaningful chances. FC Goa operated seamlessly in tandem from back to front, with the defence building up attacks and the midfield propelling them to sustain that for reasonable periods.
The Marina Machans, however, had a chance to pull a goal back in the 69th minute. Connor Shields, the leading assist maker (8) in the league, sprinted down the right flank before hurling in a cross for Wilmar Jordan Gil at the centre of the FC Goa box. Wilmar got into a complicated position in his attempt to get the ball down. He instead squared it up for Farukh Choudhary beside him. With ample space to target the net, Farukh ended up striking his shot way too high of the goal.
Coyle brought on Laldinliana Renthlei and Daniel Chima Chukwu for Lalrinliana Hnamte and Elsinho respectively in the 82nd minute. The objective appeared to flood the frontline with more numbers in search of the goal and Daniel got to the end of an offensive sequence in the 85th minute but was flagged offside. Sangwan continued to probe the Chennaiyin FC defence on the other side, getting close to the goal from the left flank as he received a pass from Borja Herrera, forcing Nawaz to make a save on the bottom left corner, but FC Goa capped off the game with all three points.
FC Goa will play Jamshedpur FC in their next match on February 2, and Chennaiyin FC are set to square off against Kerala Blasters FC on January 30.