Odisha FC vs Chennaiyin FC - Who won yesterday's ISL 2021-22 match?
The second-leg fixture between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 ended in a 2-2 draw. The match kicked off at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Tuesday.
The Marina Machans were looking to kickstart their campaign again after the departure of head coach Bozidar Bandovic. They were hoping to replenish their hopes of making it to the play-offs under the leadership of Sabir Pasha. Meanwhile, the Juggernauts were also hoping to get into the play-offs and making the most of their remaining matches.
The match kicked off with Chennaiyin FC getting the most of the opportunities presented to them. Rahim Ali opened the scoring for the match in the second minute.
The Marina Machans were awarded a free-kick after Odisha FC midfielder Thoiba Singh brought down one of their players. Nerijus Valskis stepped up to take it and his attempt got blocked. The ball fell at the feet of Rahim, who was close to the goal and made no mistake in converting the opportunity.
Odisha FC weren't far behind in the game though. After conceding early on, Kino Garcia's side stepped on the gas and went all out in pursuit of an equalizer.
Their hard work paid off in the 18th minute. Javier Hernandez received the ball in the opposition's half and played it to Jonathas Cristian. Jonathas eased it back to Javier, who was just outside the box. The Spaniard chipped the ball and even though Debjit Majumder guessed right, the Chennaiyin FC custodian failed to stop the shot.
The game is back on level terms. The remainder of the half saw both sides trying to get the better of each other but neither managed to break the opposition defense.
View the today's ISL match here.
Odisha FC failed to hold onto their lead against Chennaiyin FC
Odisha FC started the second half brightly and got their chance to go ahead. Thoiba Singh crossed the ball close to the byline. Jonathas Cristian headed it towards goal but his attempt was saved by Debjit Majumder. The rebound fell at the feet of Aridai Cabrera but he could not turn it in amidst the crowd of defenders. The ball fell to Jonathas again, who at this point was left unmarked and the Brazilian forward had no problem converting the chance.
The goal put Chennaiyin FC on the backfoot but they launched attack after attack to try and get back on level terms.
Sabir Pasha's side showed resilience and were rewarded with an equalizer. A cross came in from the left flank that found Nerijus Valskis free inside the box. The forward made no mistake in converting the chance.
The Marina Machans looked more comfortable on the ball in the second half but their wingers still seemed isolated from the central zone. They gave away possession quite often in the final third.
The match ended with the score tied at 2-2 and neither side edged past the other with a winner at the end of 90 minutes.