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There was a lot of expectations when ISL champions Chennaiyin FC kicked off their first home game of the season, but things did not pan out well for the hosts as Goa ran out 3-1 victors at their opponent's backyard to make it two consecutive league stage wins at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Sergio Lobera's side showed attacking intent from minute one to take the game away from the Marina Machans. FC Goa took the lead through Edu Bedia's strike which took the deflection of Francis Fernandes in the 12th minute.
Chennaiyin's defense was caught in a nap for the second time through the same route - throw-in to double the lead just after five minutes into the second half.
The game was put beyond the eyesight of the home side when Senegalese international Mourtada Fall headed the ball into the back of the net in 80th minute. The hosts pulled one back through the defender Eli Sabia but it turned out to be a consolation goal.
In this article, we shall look at players who had a good and bad outing on Saturday.
#1 Hit: Ahmed Jahouh
Ahmed Jahouh put in a stellar performance by running the show in the middle of the park. The Moroccan is a midfield monster and showed his defensive prowess by winning tackles, numerous duels and stopping the transition of midfield to attack from Chennaiyin FC.
The Moroccan midfielder had an outstanding outing and won 6 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 clearances, 5 blocks and completion of over 80% of the passes.
These numbers prove that the Goa midfielder was a gigantic figure to help his side with tireless running to retrieve the ball back and caused trouble to the opposition with the ball.
He was rightfully awarded the Hero of the match award for putting in a mouthwatering show. Sitting in the heart of the team, Ahmed Jahouh needs to step up the gear and put in consistent performances to cut down the leakage of goals at the back which was a headache for the Goans last season despite proving their threat in attack.
#2 Flop: Raphael Augusto
The Brazilian Raphael Augusto did not look at his best against FC Goa on Saturday. The 27-year-old struggled to catch up with the intensity of the game and looked off the pace.
The knock which he picked up against Bengaluru FC according to John Gregory who told in the pre-match press conference could be the reason for this poor performance.
At times, Augusto looked like he had slowed down the game when Chennaiyin FC had counter-attacking opportunities.
He had an excellent chance from close range when Jeje Lalpekhlua headed the ball to his feet, which did not find the back of the net. He looked lackluster with the passing and ability to press up the pitch did not look good either.
It is a game to forget for the Brazilian, but he would seek improvement when he comes up against NorthEast United after two weeks.
#3 Hit: Mourtada Fall
The towering Senegalese international was on the verge of securing the first clean sheet of this season, but Eli Sabia headed from close range to deny that. However, his performance at the back to stop the Chennaiyin FC attackers was spectacular, to say the least.
He was partnered by the young Chinglensana Singh in the central defence, but these two combined to put a full stop to the opponents with an impressive outing.
The lead looked secured until the end of the game for the away side, thanks to goals from this defender, Corominas and Edu Bedia to take all three points home.
Leading the side from the back, Mourtada Fall had an excellent game and deserves immense credit for that spectacular outing.
With the absence of Bruno Pinheiro, Goa manager Sergio Lobera discussed the importance of the Senegalese international to fill up the void left by the Portuguese.
#4 Flop: Germanpreet Singh
Germanpreet Singh has been a disappointment in the first two games for Chennaiyin FC. The midfielder struggled to cope up against Erik Paartalu against Bengaluru, and this time against FC Goa duo Lenny Rodrigues and Ahmed Jahouh.
The 22-year-old broke the tempo of the game by giving away balls on multiple occasions against the last year's semi-finalists.
In addition to this, the midfielder struggled to pass the ball and failed to contribute to defensive part of the game which consecutively hurt Chennai at the back and forward.
Since FC Goa play with such intensity in order to close down the opponents before the ball moves to the forward players, Germanpreet was put in such pressure which resulted in yet another sub-par performance from the midfielder.
Coach John Gregory will surely demand more from the Indian international after losing his key main Bikramjit Singh in the midfield.
#5 Hit: Ferran Corominas
Having netted two against NorthEast United to salvage a point, Ferran Corominas' fine form in front of goal resumed when he found the back of the net in the 50th minute which gave the keeper Karanjit Singh no chance to save as FC Goa extended their one-goal lead to two.
In addition to this, the Spanish international's exceptional cross to find the head of Mourtada Fall resulted in a goal. The 35-year-old did not shy away from taking on defenders and use his cleverness and off-ball movements to cause havoc to the opposition's defense.
When the away side took a two-goal lead, Sergio Lobero's side decided to sit back during the second half.
His work ethic to track back and win fouls shows the abundance of energy he has at the age of 35.
His linkup play with Edu Bedia was a treat to watch. Altogether, It was an immense all-round performance from the striker to register his name on the scoresheet which helped his side secure three points.
