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Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC played out a thoroughly entertaining game in Tuesday's crunch ISL fixture.
The visitors did just enough to register a vital 3-1 victory over Jeje and co. This win takes Bengaluru seven points clear at the top of the points table. Chennai remain in the second position. Here are the major talking points from tonight's exciting clash.
#1 Boithang Haokip gives BFC the lead inside 90 seconds
Bengaluru FC started tonight's match on the front foot. Miku attempted to bulldoze his way through the entire Chennaiyin defence with his first touch of the ball. It was a sight to behold, as the home side were taken aback and paid the price for being a tad too flat.
Boithang Haokip gave BFC the lead in the opening exchanges of the game, much to the surprise of the home crowd. Khabra's pin-point cross from the right wing found Sunil who cushioned his header onto the path of Haokip. The midfielder smashed his shot into the back of the net.
Chennai keeper Karanjit did manage to get a hand on it but there was too much power on the ball. Credit to the visitors for taking the game to their opponents despite. They were duly rewarded for their positive approach.
#2 Raphael Augusto struggles to get involved
If there was one player who could make the difference tonight for Chennaiyin, it was Raphael Augusto. The Brazilian playmaker has been at his creative best this season but tonight he struggled to make an impact in the first half.
Erik Paartalu and birthday boy Dimas Delgado did a fine job in man marking him. Bengaluru's duo hounded him and as a result, Chennai's players were hesitant to play in the ball to their main creative outlet.
Every time Augusto attempted to lose his marker, another one popped up and kept him in check. He cut a frustrated figure and as a result, his team found it hard to create clear-cut openings.
#3 Francisco Fernandes scores bullet header to equalise
For large parts of the first half, the home side struggled and came out second best in almost every single situation. Bengaluru were spraying the ball to all parts of the pitch and did so with precision.
Chennayin, though, proved why they have been one of the few teams to give Bengaluru a run for their money this season. Down by a goal and hardly creating any chances, Francisco Fernandes scored a bullet header against the run of play to give the home side a crucial equaliser.
Left back, Jerry whipped in an immaculate cross from the left and Francisco rose way above his marker, heading the ball past a hapless Gurpreet, who could only look on. When the going got tough, Chennai's players stepped up.
#4 Bengaluru take the lead courtesy an intelligent free kick
Post the lively first half, the match died down a little in the second. Neither side was able to string meaningful passes and the midfield was heavily loaded. It didn't make for a pretty picture.
But BFC brought life into it, taking the lead on the hour mark. They won a free kick and Dimas Delgado chipped in a clever pass to Sunil Chhetri at the near post. The captain managed to peel away from Augusto before lashing a shot at keeper Karanjit.
Chennai's shot-stopper failed to hold on to the ball and Miku was present to tap it into an open net. The execution of that free kick could not have been better. Every single Bengaluru player played their role to perfection. Although one could fault Raphael Augusto for failing to close down Chhetri inside the box.
#5 Jeje misses a penalty and blows the chance to bail his side out
The home side experienced a whirlwind of a second half. Captain, Sereno was sent off for needlessly lashing out at Miku. It meant Chennai's job got a whole lot tougher. However as fate would have it, they were given a golden opportunity to come back into the game.
Khabra cynically brought down Dhanpal Ganesh inside the box and the referee straight away pointed to the spot. Up stepped Jeje Lalpekhlua but not before BFC captain, Sunil Chhetri had a word with his keeper, Gurpreet Singh.
Chennai's star forward fluffed his spot-kick, placing it weak shot near Gurpreet's right post. The lanky shot-stopper had no trouble, parrying the ball away much to the disappointment of the home crowd. Jeje blew a great chance to bail his side out. To add to his wounds, his compatriot, Sunil Chhetri scored the third goal for BFC in the final minute.
