Noah Sadaoui’s sparkling show and Kerala Blasters’ second-half surge helped the Kochi side pull off a stunning 3-0 win over the high-flying Chennaiyin FC in the ISL at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
The Morocco-born American scored a goal and came up with an assist as Stahre’s boys raised their game when they desperately needed after three straight losses. Spaniard Jesus Jimenez and substitute K.P. Rahul scored the other goals as the Blasters climbed two rungs and moved to the eighth rung.
Despite the anxiety in the team, the Blasters played calmly, the passing was neat, and was the better side. It created plenty of chances too, and though the team could not capitalise on them in the first half, it made amends, scoring thrice in the next half.
AS IT HAPPENED | MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Blasters took the lead in the 56th minute with captain Adrian Luna starting the move with his run into the box through the left. There was a bit of confusion, and a moment later, Korou Singh sent a pass to Jimenez in the front, and the Spaniard tapped it in neatly.
Noah, who came close to scoring a couple of times earlier, increased the margin, making the most of Luna’s cross and finding the far corner of the net with a left-footed shot. And in the injury period, Noah made a nice run into the box from the right. With the goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz blocking him, he sent a cross to Rahul, who had entered a few minutes earlier, and the latter finished the job neatly.
Chennaiyin, which had won its last two games, could not do much today. Its best chance came midway through the first half, but Wilmar Jordan’s lob over the goalkeeper, after beating the defence easily, went over.
The result:
Kerala Blasters 3 (Jesus Jimenez 56, Noah Sadaoui 70, K.P. Rahul 90+2) bt Chennaiyin FC 0.
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