ISL 2020-21 highlights: Chennaiyin FC defeats Odisha FC 2-1

ISL 2020-21, OFC vs CFC Updates: Here are the Indian Super League (ISL) football score updates and commentary from the game between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC.

Updated : Jan 13, 2021 23:24 IST

Chennaiyin FC players celebrate one of Esmael Goncalves' two goals against Odisha FC on Wednesday.
Chennaiyin FC players celebrate one of Esmael Goncalves' two goals against Odisha FC on Wednesday.
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Chennaiyin FC players celebrate one of Esmael Goncalves' two goals against Odisha FC on Wednesday.

This is Sportstar's match blog/highlights of the ISL 2020-21 game between Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim.

That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in!

That brings us to the end of our ISL coverage for the day. We will be back tomorrow for an exciting contest featuring FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC.

MATCH REPORT |

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Follow Sportstar's full coverage (Latest news, Interviews, Features, Points table, Quiz, Videos) of  ISL 2020-21 .

Chennaiyin FC winger Lallianzuala Chhangte wins the 'Winning Pass of the Game' award tonight, while his teammate and midfielder, Anirud Thapa, takes home the 'Player of the Match' honour.

So, Odisha FC stays at the bottom of the 2020-21 ISL points table with just six points from 11 matches. Meanwhile, Chennaiyin FC moves from eighth spot into fifth in the standings, accumulating 14 points from the same number of games.

CFC manager Csaba Laszlo: I told my players that to win games and make the playoffs we need to finish those chances we create. And they did exactly that in the first half. Kudos to Odisha, they gave us a tough fight. I'm very happy with the three points. I made a big mistake by bringing in (Deepak) Tangri very late. Otherwise, we would have defended better in the second half. We had to play deep and control the game from there because we were leading. (Lallianzuala) Chhangte had two chances to seal the deal and Thoi (Singh's) one was very easy too. It was a dirty game. We had to make those tactical fouls to slow down their tempo. It was a risk to play Esmael (Goncalves) over Jakub (Sylvestr). I was thinking this was the time to make changes. Esmael was out for a very long time and I decided to make the gamble. He showed that he can score at the right time.

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OFC head coach Stuart Baxter: We made a few mistakes in the first half. We played well in the second and in the last 10 minutes it was all about throwing the kitchen sink at it. We had too many games in a short period. (Diego) Mauricio had a tight calf, and (Jacob) Tratt was suspended. Jerry (Mawihmingthanga) wasn't fully fit as well. We made our mind that we were going to share the load between our attackers. That's why we made four changes. It wasn't that Marcelinho was bad but he was lying deep towards the midfield. When his confidence went down, he wasn't up to the mark. That's why we brought on Mauricio, who did well. Those were very bad goals to give away. Our defence panicked a bit and we had to pay for that. I'm disappointed with the end result. However, I know my players are wearing their socks off, and hopefully they come back stronger next time.

Post-match reactions from both the camps coming up next.....

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Chennaiyin FC finally gets back to winning ways after four matches, which included three draws and a loss. Esmael Goncalves was the star on the night as he bagged a double in just six first half minutes.

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Odisha FC, on the other hand, was looking rusty during most parts of the game. Diego Mauricio was clearly missed in the opening 45 minutes and he reduced his side's deficit with a wonderful goal later on.

Both sides missed several clear-cut chances throughout the game. It was Stuart Baxter's OFC which had to suffer in the end as it went down for a seventh time this season, while Csaba Laszlo's CFC came out on top.

AND IT'S FULL-TIME! FINAL SCORE: ODISHA FC 1 - 2 CHENNAIYIN FC!!!

90+3' CORNER FOR ODISHA! This could be the last throw of the dice for OFC. Vinit Rai will take the set-piece. However, his cross into the box/Olympic goal attempt takes the ball over the crossbar. Goal-kick for Chennaiyin FC!

90' Four minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the second half!  Odisha captain Steven Taylor is booked for a mistimed tackle on CFC star Anirudh Thapa. Chennai is trying to waste some time here. OFC head coach Stuart Baxter is arguing with the fourth official on the sidelines.

87' CHANGE! Finally, CFC forward Jakub Sylvestr comes in to replace Indian striker Rahim Ali. Manager Laszlo looks nervous on the sidelines as his side keeps trying to hold on to its lead.

84' ANOTHER CHENNAI CHANCE! Once again Odisha lost the ball poorly in midfield. But this time midfielder Cole Alexander tracked back in time to recover the ball from CFC's Memo Moura.

81' WHAT A MISS! This should have been Chennaiyin FC's third goal. Odisha skipper Steven Taylor slipped on the left wing and CFC winger Lallianzuala Chhangte capitalised on it as he moved forward with pace. He evaded two opposition defenders and set up Thoi Singh inside the box. But Thoi missed the target by a huge margin from close range. This was a great chance for Chennai to seal the deal.

78' SUBSTITUTION! Baxter decides to bring in fresh legs. Indian winger Nandhakumar Sekar replaces the tired Kamalpreet Singh in the middle.

76' AND IT'S TIME FOR THE FINAL DRINKS BREAK OF THE MATCH!

74' FREE-KICK FOR ODISHA! Onwu is brought down by Enes Spiovic in midfield. Vinit Rai takes the set-piece but the Chennai defence clears the ball away with ease.

71' YELLOW CARD! Forward Rahim Ali becomes the second Chennai player to be booked tonight. He brings down Odisha forward Manuel Onwu from behind and is penalised by the referee.

69' ANOTHER CFC CHANGE! Indian midfielder Thoi Singh replaces foreign recruit Fatkhulo Fatkhulloev in the middle for Chennaiyin FC. Odisha FC has dominated possession in the last few minutes.

66' SUBSTITUTION! Chennaiyin FC manager Csaba Laszlo makes his first change on the night. He replaces the goal-scorer Esmael Goncalves with defender Deepak Tangri on the field.

63' GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!! DIEGO MAURICIO SCORES!!! ODISHA FC 1 - 2 CHENNAIYIN FC!! Midfielder Cole Alexander directed a rebound towards Mauricio with his head. The Striker received the ball and went on a pacy run. He defenders on either side but he managed to place the ball at the right corner of the post to pull a goal back for his side. Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith's view was blocked by his own defender there.

60' CORNER FOR CFC! Lallianzuala Chhangte makes a quick run on the left flank. He evades a Vinit Rai tackle and reaches the edge of the box. But his shot is deflected away for a set-piece. Chennai is unable to capitalise on the corner.

57' BOOKING! Two yellow cards given by the referee within five minutes. This time it is a CFC player. Jerry Lalrinzuala goes into the referee's book a silly tackle on Odisha FC's Shubham Sarangi.

55' FOUL! Diego Mauricio pulls down Memo Moura by his shirt from behind. The referee doesn't book the Odisha FC player. Chennaiyin FC wins a free-kick.

52' YELLOW CARD! Odisha FC defender Shubham Sarangi is the first player to be booked tonight. His mistimed tackle on an opposition players earns him a card.

50' CHANCE FOR CFC! Chennaiyin FC winger Lallianzuala Chhangte makes a run forward and finds Esmael Goncalves close to the box. But the striker is unable to control the ball as it goes out of play for an Odisha goalkick.

 47' DOUBLE CHANGE FOR OFC! Manager Stuart Baxter brings on Daniel Lalhlimpuia and Diego Mauricio for Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Marcelinho in the middle.

AND THE SECOND HALF IS UNDERWAY!

Forty-five minutes to go. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, Manuel Onwu had a glorious opportunity to pull one back for OFC but his poor run continued as he messed up an easy chance. It's time to bring on Diego Mauricio now, with Marcelinho misfiring as well.

Odisha FC is struggling to make any inroads here. Chennaiyin FC has dominated the first half, thanks to one man -- Esmael Goncalves. The CFC striker could have even scored a hattrick in the opening 45 minutes.

AND IT'S HALF-TIME!!!

45+2' FOUL! Kamalpreet Singh takes down Jerry Lalrinzuala from behind. He is lucky to escape without a card here. One last CFC free-kick this half. Anirudh Thapa receives a short pass and he goes for a shot from long but he misses the target by a huge margin.

45' Two minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the first half! Chennaiyin FC wins a throw-in in the final third. Lallianzuala Chhangte receives the ball but he is quickly dispossessed by Hendry Antonay as Odisha FC regains possession.

43' FREE-KICK FOR CHENNAI! This is much closer to goal than what OFC won a few moments ago. Fatkhulo Fatkhulloev will take it. He sends ball way over the post as well. Another poor set-piece.

40' FREE-KICK FOR ODISHA! Marcelinho will take the set-piece. He sends the cross into the box but he puts too much power on the ball as it sails over the crossbar. Poor stuff from the experienced Brazilian.

37' WHAT A CHANCE! Odisha FC should have scored there. Manuel Onwu with arguably the miss of the tournament. Jerry Mawihmingthanga got to the ball off a weak clearance. He improvised and went for the overhead kick to set up Onwu inside the box. But the Spanish striker fired the ball wide off Chennai keeper Vishal Kaith.

34' CHANCE! Chennaiyin FC continues to apply pressure on Odisha FC here. Memo Moura takes the ball forward from midfield and lets one fly from long. But he's unable to hit the target.

31' AND IT'S TIME FOR THE COOLING BREAK NOW!

29' ODISHA CHANCE! Manuel Onwu takes the ball forward. He executes a one-two pass with Marcelinho and tries to enter the box. However, the Chennaiyin FC defence reacts in time to make the clearance.

26' CORNER FOR OFC! Finally a set-piece for the Kalinga Warriors. Jerry Mawihmingthanga will take it. Shubham Sarangi is at the receiving end of the corner but his header is off target.

24' This is the first time Chennaiyin FC has taken a two-goal lead this season. This is a well-deserved one. OFC needs to bring in Diego Mauricio as soon as possible. The team is lacking creativity right now.

21' GOOOOAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!! ESMAEL SCORES AGAIN!!!!! CHENNAIYIN FC 2 - 0 ODISHA FC!!! Esmael Goncalves bags a dounle in just six minutes. He made a slow run towards the ball, took a short pause and wrongfooted OFC keeper Arshdeep Singh to make it 2-0 for CFC.

20' PENALTY FOR CHENNAIYIN FC!!! Odisha FC's Gaurav Bora brings down CFC midfielder Anirudh Thapa inside the box and the referee points to the spot.

15' GOALLLLLLL!!!!!!! ESMAEL SCORES!!!!!!!! CHENNAIYIN FC 1 - 0 ODISHA FC!!! A long ball is played towards Esmael Goncalves. OFC's Gaurav Bora tries to intercept it but his touch is weak. Esmael receives the rebound and makes a lethal run forward. He was one-on-one with Odisha keeper Arshdeep and found the back of the net with a dink.

12' Chennaiyin FC has dominated the attacking and passing stats in this game so far. The team could have even taken the lead early on. Odisha FC is clearly on the backfoot.

9' CORNER FOR CHENNAI! Reagan Singh wins a set-piece for his side. Hendry Antonay with the final touch. Fatkhulloev crosses the ball into the box and Enes Sipovic tries to get to it. But the ball had too much power in it as it goes out of play.

7' TACKLE! Goncalves with another run in the final third. But Kamalpreet comes to Odisha's rescue with a well-timed sliding tackle at the edge of the box. Brilliant!

5' WHAT A CHANCE! This has been CFC's problem all season. The forwards have been unable to finish chances. Esmael Goncalves received a good pass from Fatkhulo Fatkhulloev on the right flank. He moved the ball forward with pace. He entered the box and was in a good position to score but his shot went well above the bar.

2' THROW-IN FOR CFC! Lallianzuala Chhangte troubles Odisha FC defender early on. The Chennaiyin FC left winger isn't able to get past his marker in the end.

7:30 PM: AND THE MATCH BEGINS!

7:20 PM: Odisha has made four changes tonight -- Marcelinho, Manuel Onwu, Shubham Sarangi and Kamalpreet Singh have replaced Jacob Tratt, Daniel Lahlimpuia, Nandhakumar Sekar and Diego Mauricio. Meanwhile, Chennaiyin has made only one change -- Esmael Goncalves in for Jakub Sylvestr.

7:10 PM: CAN CHENNAIYIN FC GET BACK TO WINNING WAYS?

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Chennaiyin FC players carrying out their final training drills ahead of tonight's ISL 2020-21 encounter.
 

7:00 PM: Here are all the important stats, players to watch out for and head-to-head records featuring the two sides in a action tonight.

 

 

6:45 PM: Chennaiyin FC has been among the best teams to watch this season but why is it eighth on the table? We try to make sense of CFC's campaign with the help of xG metrics.

RELATED | Can play, can't score: Chennaiyin's xG defying ISL season so far

6:30 PM: The team lineups are out!

OFC XI: Arshdeep Singh (GK), Hendry Antonay, Cole Alexander, Marcelo Pereira, Gaurav Bora, Shubham Sarangi, Vinit Rai, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Manuel Onwu, Kamalpreet Singh, Steven Taylor (C).

CFC XI: Vishal Kaith (GK), Reagan Singh, Enes Sipovic, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Eli Sabia (C), Anirudh Thapa, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Fatkhulo Fatkhulloev, Memo Moura, Rahim Ali, Esmael Goncalves.

6:15 PM: In case you missed it, NorthEast United has parted ways with coach Gerard Nus and has appointed Khalid Jamil as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. ( FULL STORY )

6:00 PM: As Odisha FC and Chennaiyin FC square off in match 57 of the 2020-21 Indian Super League, here are the predicted playing XIs and fantasy picks from the fixture. ( READ MORE )

Follow Sportstar's full coverage (Latest news, Interviews, Features, Points table, Quiz, Videos) of ISL 2020-21 .

The seventh edition of the Indian Super League got underway inside a bio-bubble in Goa on November 20.

The tournament, spanning over four months, will see 11 teams play each other in a league and playoff format across three venues. Following the inclusion of SC East Bengal, this season will feature 115 games, up from 95 last season.

ISL 2020: Points Table

MATCH PREVIEW:

After playing out a drab goalless draw on Sunday, Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC will meet again on Wednesday at the GMC Stadium. 

At the halfway stage, CFC only has 11 points, while Odisha languishes at the bottom of the table with just six points. Both teams need a win to have any hope of making a fight for the playoff spot.

Despite being eighth on the points table, CFC would feel all is not lost considering only four points separate it from third place Hyderbad FC.

With the same team meeting back-to-back, Odisha FC coach Stuart Baxter said his team might bring some changes to keep the opponent guessing.

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"It is a possibility, yes, when you have these doubleheaders. Sometimes you do change tactics. But we have to look at a fresh set of players; we have to look at the injuries. We have a suspension in Jacob (Tratt). So that is on the table," said Baxter.

For CFC coach Csaba Laszlo, the problem of strikers fluffing relatively simple chances continues to be his main headache.

“I do not want to say that we created the most chances in the league but somehow we did not score enough goals. If you don't score goals, it is very difficult to win games,” said Laszlo.

“You cannot always only defend and expect to be without mistakes at the back. We are organised at the back, but I wish we score with the chances that we create,” he added.

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