Bengaluru FC vs Chennaiyin FC - Who won yesterday's ISL 2021-22 match?
Bengaluru FC beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0 in match no. 72 in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Wednesday.
The previous encounter between the two sides ended with Bengaluru FC winning 4-2 on December 30, 2021 and ending their year on a high. They smashed Chennaiyin FC's reputation for having the best defense in the league back then.
The match started with Bengaluru FC deploying a high press against Bozidar Bandovic's side. The Blues scored their first goal early in the match. Edwin Vanspaul fouled Sunil Chhetri inside the box and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Iman Basafa stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Debjit Majumder the wrong way to convert for his side.
Chennaiyin FC midfielder Germanpreet Singh looked lively in the absence of Anirudh Thapa. The player made some runs breaching the opposition's line but was caught in a crowd of Bengaluru FC players and dispossessed.
For a while, the tie looked evenly balanced as both sides tried to create a chance but lacked the delivery of the final ball. Chennaiyin FC sat back more in comparison to Bengaluru FC's high press.
Chhetri was one of the most impressive players in the Blues' squad. The forward pressed the Marina Machans defensive line relentlessly and forced them to play long balls that usually went to his teammates.
The Bengaluru FC skipper was the prime reason for the side's second goal of the game. He received the ball from one of the midfielders and then ran past the defenders. He dropped the goalie to the floor with a slight dummy before passing it to Udanta Singh for an easy tap-in for the pacy winger.
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Bengaluru FC finish the game in style against Chennaiyin FC
At the start of the second half, both coaches decided to change things a little. Marco Pezzaiuoli introduced Rohit Kumar in place of Iman Basafa. Bozidar Bandovic introduced Rahim Ali in place of Germanpreet Singh.
The Marina Machans looked comparatively more dominant in possession in the second half. But all that time on the ball amounted to nothing.
Amidst all of the action, Pezzaiuoli's side snatched their third goal of the game. The high pressing paid off for the Blues. Udanta Singh pressed Mohammad Sajid Dhot for the ball and the defender allowed him to create the pressure. Slavko Damjanovic slipped in the process and saw Udanta score his second of the game with ease.
After the goal, the Blues midfielder Suresh Wangjam, who was an absolute engine in the middle of the park, was replaced by Damaitphang Lyngdoh. Chennaiyin FC introduced Nerijus Valskis in place of Lukasz Gikiewicz in an attempt to mitigate the damage.
The major problem with Chennaiyin FC was their approach. They sat back and allowed Pezzaiuoli's side time on the ball. The formation used by Bandovic seemed to expose the space behind the full-backs as they went ahead in attack.
Meanwhile, the Blues looked a different side. They were pressing hard and high and allowed very little time on the ball.
Chennaiyin FC maintained their fifth position in the ISL table but the Blues jumped to sixth, just one point behind the Marina Machans.