ISL 2024-25: Chennaiyin goes down to East Bengal, stays winless at home

ISL 2024-25: Chennaiyin goes down to East Bengal, stays winless at home

Chennaiyin’s search for its first home win continued after it lost 2-0 against East Bengal in an Indian Super League 2024-25 clash at the Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. It was also the third consecutive loss for Owen Coyle and his men.

P.V. Vishnu and Jeakson Singh got on the scoresheet for the Red and Gold Brigade, which won its second match in a row and clinched its fourth clean sheet in the last five games.

The Red and Gold Brigade had more urgency in its intent in the opening minutes, evident from the quick long balls over the top for Dimitrios Diamantakos. However, the passes lacked precision, with most going out of play.

Coyle’s plan to isolate Diamantakos was carried to perfection by the Chennaiyin backline, marshalled under the leadership of captain Ryan Edwards.

After the first 10 minutes, Chennaiyin started to find rhythm, with its first chance coming in the 11th minute from a freekick after Saul Crespo fouled Farukh Choudhary right outside the box.

Connor Shields went for the far-post with his cross, intending to find Daniel Chima Chukwu but Diamantakos cleared the ball to safety.

In the 15th minute, Coyle’s men got another chance – this time from a set-piece. Shields’ delivery from a corner found an unmarked P.C. Laldinpuia, who headed the ball towards the goal but the effort was straight at Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who caught it comfortably.

Four minutes later, the in-form Irfan Yadwad got the ball in a good position inside the box and quickly went for a curler after opening the face of his body. While he could not hit the target as the ball did not have enough bend, the reaction from the crowd made it evident that the shot was not too far off from the target.

Chukwu, who posed a constant threat in the final third, got a flurry of chances as the half progressed. The first one came from Shields’ cross from the right in the 25th minute, with the Nigerian trying to use the pace of the ball to guide it to the top-left corner. However, to Gill’s relief, the effort went wide.

Four minutes after he missed his header, Chukwu had another chance after making a bursting run inside the East Bengal box with the ball. He cut in and went for a grounded effort but Gill got down quickly to make the save.

In the 34th minute, Chukwu had the best chance of the lot. Shields did the hard work again, making his way inside the Red and Gold box from the right. He spotted Chukwu and sent the ball towards him, this time, opting to go low. With Gill comprehensively beaten, the Nigerian had an open net in front of him but he could not reach the ball in time as Anwar Ali proved to be a menace and did enough to hold him off.

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon turned heads when he chose to take off Diamantakos for Cleiton Silva early in the second-half as his side searched for the opener. It finally came in the 54th minute.

Two minutes earlier, Farukh’s effort had brought fresh life inside the Chennaiyin fans who roared every time their team had the ball in the opposition’s half. However, when East Bengal moved up the opposite side, the Blue section of the stand was silenced.

East Bengal had found a goal against the run of play.

Mahesh Singh Naorem, on the left flank, spotted Crespo’s run inside the box and sent the ball to his captain with an excellent dink. Saul, who knew the angle did not favour a shot at goal, went for the cutback. Chennaiyin keeper Mohammad Nawaz got a touch but it wasn’t enough to divert the ball from the path of Vishnu who reached the ball first to lash it inside the open net.

The goal had breathed life into the East Bengal side but not long after the goal, Crespo went down clutching his right leg. The fact that he had to be stretchered off the pitch would be a cause of concern for Bruzon.

Coyle turned to his arsenal of Indian attackers, bringing on Kiyan Nassiri and Gurkirat Singh. Bruzon replied by bringing on Jeakson and Nandhakumar Sekar. In a tactical battle between the Scot and the Spaniard, the latter had the last laugh.

In the 84th minute, East Bengal scored its second to put the contest to bed. Nandhakumar carried the ball a fair way before a deflected ball reached Jeakson, who was just outside the box. With no one to close him down, he went for a shot from distance and rattled the net to guarantee three points for his team.