ISL: Valskis, Crivellaro steer Chennaiyin to 2-0 win vs NorthEast United- As it happened

Rafael Crivellaro scored a screamer in the 57th minute to give Chennaiyin the lead before Nerijus Valskis made it 2-0 two minutes later against NorthEast United.

Out of the 14 goals Chennaiyin has scored this season, nine has come in its last four matches.

Hello and welcome to the highlights of the 2019-20 Indian Super League between Chennaiyin FC  and NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

After full time at the Marina Arena, it's finished Chennaiyin FC 2-0 NorthEast United FC

 

Thank you so much for joining us. Until next time, it's goodbye.

CIAO!

Second half was an electric affair! Italian Crivellaro beating Roy in goal with one of the goals of the season and then Valskis made it 2-0 on the night and eight in eight for him with a lovely finish. Vishal Kaith did well to keep a clean sheet and that's all we have for you today.

 

Shots- Shots on target

23-13 for Chennaiyin FC

18-6 for NorthEast United

50%-50% possession for both sides.

 

The referee blows the long whistle and that's it! What a nail-biting second half!

90+3' WHAT A SAVE FROM KAITH! HE RICHLY DESERVES THIS CLEAN SHEET! RIGHT OFF THE TOP DRAWER! Chaves with a direct strike on goal from the free-kick and an impressive save from Keith, who dives to his left to the top corner.

Three minutes have been added to the second half

89' SUBSTITUTION! Thoi Singh- IN! Rafael Crivellaro- OUT

84' OUCH! Rupert Nongrum with a brutal challenge on Laldinliana Renthlei, who was looking to clear the ball but is stepped on by Rupert.

80' MILAN SINGHHH FROM MILAN! Audacious effort from distance, but the ball flies just over the cross bar.  The architect of the pass was Andre Keogh, who fended off two defenders on him at the edge of the box to play it to Milan Singh.

78' KAITHHHHH!!! WHAT A SAVE! Special, special save! Ninthoi, who has just been brought on, has ample space and time from 25 yards out to rifle the ball into the back of the net. But Kaith does well to save the curler.

77' Substitution for NorthEast: Ninthoi- IN| Federico Gallego- OUT

76' CRIVELLARO!!! JUST WIDE! He is having a ball out there since the resumption. Played to inside the box and whips the ball towards goal. But the ball swirls off target.

74' THAPPPPAAA, HITS IT OVER! Crivellaro does well to free Chhangte in the left wing, who burst forward and gets close to the byline. He then squares it to Thapa at the near post, whose angular header hits the top netting.

71' CRIVELLLLARO WITH A BULLET, BUT SAVED!  What a second half he is having! Takes the ball into the box and then whips it towards goal. The angle was tight but it was well done by Roy to make the save on time.

Substitution for Chennaiyin FC:  Dragos Firtulescu-IN |Andre Schembri-OUT

64' - CHANCE! Lallianzuala Chhangte shoots from inside the NEUFC box but the shot just misses the mark by an inch! Valskis and Crivellaro combined at the edge of the box before Chhangte tried his hand at the goal.

63' - Now Milan Singh with an audacious effort! He shoots from distance but the attempt flies over the bar.

60' GOOOOOOALLLL! VALSKIS MAKES IT TWO!! After missing easy tap-ins, Chennaiyin has scored two stunners. Chhangte's shot from inside the box is saved and the ball falls to Kai Heerings. The defender's clearance falls at the foot of Valskis and he makes the most of it by a brilliant curler to the top left corner.

57' GOOOOOOALLLLL AND THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE WORLD-CLASS GOAL FROM CRIVELLARO! From the centre line in the left flank, Crivellaro takes a crack at goal from 60 yards out and beats Subhasish Roy completely.

54' NOW ROY WITH SAVE! Brilliant counter-attack from Chennaiyin and Chhangte, from the edge of the box in the right, takes a shot on goal. Roy gets his fingertips on the ball and does enough to concede a corner.

53' ANOTHER GOOD SAVE FROM VISHAL! Fingertips! Andrew Keogh, from way outside the box, turns around quickly and takes Vishal by surprise with a swirling effort to the bottom corner. But Kaith does well to make the save.

52' EDWINNN, BUT WIDE! Valskis fights off his marksmen outside the box and plays it back to Edwin. The incoming midfielder tries to curl the ball into the top right corner, but the ball is wide.

50' GALLEGO FORCES THE SAVE!  The corner from Gallego is punch away by Kaith. The ball is then played back to Gallego in the right flank, who sees that the Chennaiyin keeper is off his line. So, he takes a gamble and goes for goal directly. Kaith does well to scurry across and make the diving safe. Kaith then catches the ball first time in the next corner.

48' Good first-time ball from Milan Singh through the centre for Rupert, but Kaith charges off his line for the clean-up act.

Half-time substitution for NorthEast: Redeem Tlang is replaced by Rupert Nongrum

 

We are ready for the final 45 of this match.

The players are back on the pitch for the second half!

Schembri could have scored a first half-half hat-trick. That's how many chances he had in the opening half at Marina Arena. Chennaiyin started aggressively and didn't let the visitor settle down. But the host squandered so many chances and which is why the scoreline still reads 0-0.

9 shots in total, but just 5 target for Chennai

8 shots in total, but just 3 on target for NorthEast.

50% possession for both sides.

 

45+1' BLOCKED BY GOIAN AGAIN! and that's the end of the first half.

1 minute has been added to the first half

44' SAVVEE! Lallianzuala Chhangte curls the ball into the box but the  header from Crivellaro is hit straight to the keeper, who does well to get low on time and make the save off the goal line.

40' SCHEMBRI WITH YET ANOTHER MISS! Crivellaro runs into the box and collects it really with a great first touch. Squares it low to Schembri, who once again right across the face of the goal, fails to tap in.

38' GOIAN IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AGAIN! Once again, Redeem does really well to lose his defenders in the left wing and run into the box. He drops his shoulders and taps left before taking a shot on goal. But Lucian Goian blocks it.

37' FREE HEADER AND IT'S WIDE! Oh, boy! How did that no go in? The corner by Anirudh Thapa from the right post in an absolute peach. Curls in right next to the penalty spot and Schembri does well to get to the ball with his head first. But he fails to head the ball on target!

35' Once again, poor in the final third! Crivellaro from right outside the box tries to play a quick, cunning pass to Chhangte in the left, but the ball is too heavy as it scrambles past the byline for a NorthEast goal kick.

32' MUCH BETTER FROM NORTHEAST! The debutant Keogh, from inside the box, chips the ball to Mislav Komorski, whose headed effort falls directly to Kaith.

29' SAVE FROM VISHAL KAITH! Redeem does extremely well to fight off Jerry in the right flank and play a scrambled pass to Milan Singh, who from inside the box takes a shot on goal  but Kaith does well to punch it away.

The tempo has dropped down as both teams look settled now. Thapa did well to dodge his marker, turn around and play a through ball to Schembri in the right wing. The forward's cross deflects off a defender and falls to Subhasish Roy for an easy catch.

The host Chennaiyin has made a fierce start to the game. It has already made seven attempts on goal and the attack has clearly gotten the better of NorthEast defence. But the finishing hasn't been quite there. Owen Coyle won't be too disappointed with the proceedings so far.

18' WIDEEE! Valskis frees Renthlei in the right wing, who bursts forward before crossing it inside the box. Rafael Crivellaro towers over his defender, but couldn't keep it on target.

14' WHAT A SAVE FROM SUBHASISH!  Kai Heerings' clearance off a Valskis cross falls to Schembri, who tries to head the ball in from just outside the goal line. But Subhasish Roy does well to dive to his right and makes the save.

13' ANOTHER MISS, this time from Schembri. Thapa drills a low, quick cross into the box from the right wing after being played to by Jerry and an incoming Schembri can only hit it wide of the left post.

11' EDWIN VANSPAULLLLL... saved! Subhasish does well to parry the shot over the bar for a corner. The ball falls to Edwin Vanspaul outside the box, who takes a couple of touches before rifling the ball in. Roy does well to dive to his left and make the save.

7' Bottled another chance! Valskis receives a great cross from the right flank inside the box and the striker tries to take the shot on first time. But he ends up miscuing the shot completely.

5' HOW DID THAT NOT GO IN? From point blank range! Nerijus Valskis receives an inch-perfect pass right across the face of goal and all he had to was place it on either side of Subhasish Roy. But he ended up hitting the cross bar.  The ball falls to Edwin Vanspaul passes it to Rafael Crivellaro, who threads a lovely through ball to Lallianzuala Chhangte. He squares it for Nerijus Valski.

Chennaiyin has scored 29% of its goals from crosses.

4' Thapa with a cross from the left flank, but the ball is cleared away as there was no other CFC player in the box to receive the ball.

3' Lallianzuala Chhangte with a shot from the edge of the box in the left flank, but straight to the NorthEast keeper  Subhasish Roy

2' ON DEBUTT BUT SAVED! The Irishman, Andrew Keogh, is played to in the centre. He takes the ball forward and forces CFC keeper Vishal Kaith to charge off his line. The shot from Keogh is saved and it's the first corner of the match! Chaves' corner is headed towards goal, but deflected off Crivellaro. There was a shout for handball but another corner give. Next corner is cleared away. Good save by the Chennaiyin goalkeeper.

We are ready for kick-off! Let's get going!

The players have lined-up for the national anthem.

Some numbers from the clash:

• NorthEast has scored 3 goals away from home (lowest in the league).
• NorthEast is the only team which is yet to score a goal from a cross this season.
• Out of the 14 goals Chennaiyin has scored this season, nine have come in its last four matches.

 ( Courtesy ISL)

Head-to-head:

10 games: CFC- 2 wins, NEUFC- 6 wins, 2 draws

NEU has conceded 20 goals, while CFC has conceded 14 goals.

 

Off the Pitch E01: Here's the teaser to the full video that comes out tomorrow.

 

Andrew Keogh, the Irishman, makes his ISL debut. Milan Singh returns to the starting XI for the Highlanders.

Starting XIs:

Chennaiyin FC:  Vishal Kaith (GK), Lucian Goian, Eli Sabia, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Laldinliana Renthlei, Anirudh Thapa, Edwin Vanspaul, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rafael Crivellaro, Nerijus Valskis, Andre Schembri

 

NorthEast United FC:  Subhasish Roy (GK), Rakesh Pradhan, Mislav Komorski, Kai Heerings, Reagan Singh, Lalengmawia, Redeem Tlang, Federico Gallego, Martin Chaves, Milan Singh, Andrew Keogh

 

Position in points table:

Chennaiyin is currently placed 8th with 12 points from 11 games.

NorthEast United is right below tonight's host at 9th with 11 points from 10 games .

MATCH PREVIEW by Anirudh Velamuri

Chennaiyin FC  and NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday with both teams looking for one final push to make it to the playoffs.

Since replacing John Gregory, the home side’s results under  Owen Coyle  have been positive. It has taken seven points from five games under him, which is two more than it did in six matches under the now-departed Englishman.

The next two games could have a big say in the two-time champion’s quest to break into the top four. Following the game against the  Highlanders , it hosts Jamshedpur FC – which is right above it in the table – before tough away games against Bengaluru FC and ATK follow.

And Coyle acknowledged the tough job he has at hand. “Everyone is craving the playoff chances and to do that we have to be consistent and winning games,” he said speaking at the pre-match press conference. “Three points are valuable because more often than not there are more draws in the league, so three points can catapult you up the table.”

In the other dugout,  Robert Jarni  has more issues to deal with than his counterpart while also looking for an unlikely top-four position.

Having started the season well, being unbeaten in the first six games, the side from Guwahati has picked up just one point from its last four games – the kind of form that can end a team’s season. And the Croatian admitted it.

“We lost our opportunity when we lost a couple of matches in the last seconds of the game,” he said. “But we have a young, promising team and it is a chance for them to get the experience that will help them grow.”

To add to the Croatian’s woes is Asamoah Gyan’s season-ending injury. The club is expected to sign a new striker, among others, shortly and Jarni confirmed that the official announcements will be made soon.

Only two teams have conceded more than Chennaiyin this season while NEUFC has scored the fewest goals.

Team news

The home team will be missing the services of midfielder Germanpreet Singh due to a suspension but Coyle said he has “a solution”, one he believes “will work very well”.

Dhanpal Ganesh was last seen in the matchday squad at the end of last year – against FC Goa. The 28-year-old, who was lacking match fitness, could give Coyle a boost after he played the full match in a closed-doors friendly against the B side on the weekend.

Alongside Gyan, NEUFC will also miss the services of Jose Leudo after he was sent off in the game against FC Goa.

 

 

MATCH BROADCAST DETAILS

The match will be shown on the Star Sports network and can also be streamed live on Hotstar. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.