Chennaiyin FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan - Who won yesterday's ISL 2021-22 match?
Chennaiyin FC were beaten 0-1 by ATK Mohun Bagan on Thursday in their second-leg encounter in the Indian Super League.
Chennaiyin FC had already lost out on the opportunity to make it amongst the big boys of the league this season. Hence, they looked to win this game or at least come away with a point.
However, the stakes were high for the Kolkata giants. Kerala Blasters FC and Mumbai City FC breathed down their necks in the race to qualify for the top 4.
Despite all the injury concerns that plagued ATK Mohun Bagan's side, Roy Krishna's availability seemed like a breath of fresh air.
The match kicked off with the Green and Maroon Brigade looking hungrier than the opposition. However, interim head coach Syed Sabir Pasha made sure to close the gates on the Mariners.
Liston Colaco, who has been in sublime form in front of goal, had at all times two defenders to give company when in possession. The job was clear. Liston should not be allowed space to cut inside on his right and get too much space to take a shot on goal. Reagan Singh and Jobby Justin were at it from minute one.
Chennaiyin FC also managed to block the easy movement of the ball centrally. This stopped ATK Mohun Bagan from progressing the ball through the central channel.
However, the Marina Machans couldn't stick to their act for long. Joni Kauko passed the ball to Roy Krishna. The Fijian ace took a touch that allowed him some space to shoot and drilled in a low one that went past Samik Mitra in goal.
The detailed ISL fixtures are available here.
ATK Mohun Bagan hold onto to their lead against Chennaiyin FC
Chennaiyin FC started the second half in the hunt for a goal. The plan was similar, except now the Marina Machans were a little hungrier than before.
Rahim Ali and Jobby Justin ran riot on both flanks. The two forwards capitalized on the space left behind by the opposition full-backs and drove forward with the intent to secure the equalizing goal.
The Mariners midfield looked frazzled due to the movements of Deepak Tangri. He was unable to block the passing lane that allowed Sabir Pasha's side to stretch them.
This was convincing enough for Juan Ferrando to bring in a player who could solidify the central midfield. Lenny Rodrigues was introduced in place of Joni Kauko and Prabir Das took the place of Liston Colaco. Liston wasn't able to impact the match in any way during his time on the field.
The Marina Machans increased the volume of attacks, with Vladimir Koman calling the shots as a deep-lying playmaker. The midfielder's aerial ball did cause a few concerns at the back. However, Sandesh Jhingan and Tiri were up to the task of making sure they did not reach a Chennaiyin FC player.
ATK Mohun Bagan held onto their precious lead as the referee blew the final whistle. Juan Ferrando's side climbed to second place with the League Shield decider ahead of them.