ISL 2017, Match 18: Chennaiyin FC vs ATK, Player Ratings
Chennaiyin FC hosted ATK in what was billed as the match of the champions, as they are the only two teams to win the prestigious ISL trophy. Chennaiyin have scored the most number of goals at home, whereas ATK have scored the most number of away goals. Keeping these stats in mind the match promised to be an enthralling encounter.
The first half was cagey with both the teams trying to get a grip on the game. The second half also started the same way the first half ended. The match continued to be a cagey affair with most of the game being played in the midfield but 'Mizo Sniper' Jeje Lalpekhlua broke the deadlock in the 65th minute. The dynamics of the game changed drastically after that as it turned out to be a 5-goal thriller which Chennaiyin went on to win 3-2.
On that note, let's take a look at how the players performed in the clash of the champions.
Chennaiyin FC
Karanjit Singh (5.5): Karanjit wasn’t called into action much, but didn’t do reasonably well when called upon. He could have done better with both the goals that Chennaiyin conceded.
Inigo Calderon (9): The best Chennaiyin defender of the night for sure. Inigo helped the wingers in attack and also scored a goal for Chennaiyin.
Mailson Alves (5.5): Mailson wasn’t at his best today and was beaten with ease by the likes of Keane and Kuqi.
Sereno (6.5): Sereno had an average game of sorts. He was excellent while going forward during the set pieces but was poor in defence.
Jerry (7.5): Jerry put in a superb shift in the left-back position. He was lethal in blocking the runs of Rupert and Prabir. He also forced Prabir to put early crosses into the box, which were often inaccurate.
Dhanpal Ganesh (7): The lad from Chennai had a towering presence in the middle of the park. He helped Chennaiyin win a lot of second balls too.
Bikramjit Singh (5.5): The least impressive Chennaiyin midfielder of the night. Bikramjit was poor with his anticipation and distribution.
Jamie Gavilan (6.5): Started in place of Raphael Augusto, and limped off the pitch in the second half. In between, he played an important role for Chennaiyin in the middle of the park and had a big role to play in the build-up to the first goal.
Gregory Nelson (7.5): The best midfielder for Chennai, Gregory gave plenty of a headache to the likes of Prabir Das and Debjit Majumdar.
Francis (6): Francis didn’t have the best of games and it was actually Inigo who made all the difference on the right.
Jeje Lalpekhlua (9): A brace and plenty of impressive touches probably the man of the match, Jeje had a brilliant game today. He showed why he is rated as one of the best poachers in the sub-continent. His positioning today was superb.