Chennaiyin FC produced a 3-2 comeback victory over NorthEast United FC in a five-goal blockbuster at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Thursday.
The ISL season resumed after the October international and a brace from Wilmar Jordan Gil and a spot-kick from Lukas Brambilla helped Owen Coyle’s men return to winning ways.
In the opening minutes of the match, the Highlanders launched a sensational counterattack, which ended with Parthib Gogoi finding Nestor Albiach in space in the penalty box. The Spanish midfielder took the opportunity to hand the host an early lead in the fifth minute.
It was a continuous seesaw battle between the two teams, as none could control the midfield with authority. Both teams had a flurry of chances in the first half. Brambilla and Connor Shields combined well with Farukh Choudhury and Irfan Yadwad to create good openings for Chennaiyin FC. It was finally rewarded when Shields, with his exceptional corner delivery, found Jordan in the box and the Colombian rose highest in the box to restore parity for the visitor in the 25th minute.
The equaliser swayed things in Chennaiyin FC’s favour as it started to raise the tempo of its gameplay. In the 34th minute, a shirt tug from Michel Zabaco on Ryan Edwards saw Chennaiyin FC get rewarded with a penalty. Brambilla stepped up and calmly slotted it past Gurmeet Singh, handing the Marina Machans a crucial lead.
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The second half was more of the same for both teams. However, Chennaiyin FC made the most of its opportunity when Jordan doubled the lead in the 51st minute after the entire NorthEast United FC defence switched off, expecting it to be flagged offside.
The host had the lion’s share of possession in the second period but hardly created any openings to claw its way back into the game. Meanwhile, Owen Coyle turned to Elsinho to add stability to his midfield and defence.
Laldinliana Renthlei was given marching orders in the 83rd minute after he received his second yellow card. There was drama left in the game as Yadwad dragged Alaaeddine Ajaraie down in the penalty box, handing NorthEast FC United an opportunity to pull one goal back.
Ajaraie stepped up and deceived Samik with a calm spot-kick in the 89th minute, marking his fifth goal in as many games this season. However, in the end, it was not enough for the Highlanders to salvage something from the game as Chennaiyin FC grabbed the three points.
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