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NorthEast United FC took on Chennaiyin FC at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda on Monday in ISL 2021-22. It was a clash that promised to be edgy as well as exciting turned out to be the same. Chennaiyin FC ended up winning the match 2-1.
It was yet another disappointing day at the office for the Highlanders. They were keenly looking to regain their old form in this edition of the ISL. Unfortunately for them, V.P. Suhair's strike early in the second half seemed to be the only positive from the evening. Even that was officially given as an own goal from the Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.
From the very first kick of the ball, both NorthEast United FC and Chennaiyin FC went toe to toe against each other. The game looked evenly balanced until Highlanders star playmaker Federico Gallego got himself into a clash with Chennaiyin FC's Narayan Das.
The NorthEast United FC midfielder, who was making a comeback after missing out in the first two games, had to be sidelined. Gallego's absence from the match was felt. His playmaking attributes were taking center stage for the Highlanders until the 25th minute when he had to be subbed off.
However, it was the Chennaiyin boys Lallianzuala Chhangte and captain Anirudh Thapa who managed to steal the spotlight with their goals. Both scored either one goal either side of the half to give Chennaiyin the three points.
On that note, let's take a look at the 4 things we learned from this exciting encounter.
#4 Khalid Jamil's lack of plan B
Federico Gallego missed the first two matches for NorthEast United FC and his absence was visible in the performance of the team. Against Chennaiyin FC, he was available to start and he did. Khalid's woes in the attacking third looked to have disappeared in the first 20 minutes. That was until Gallego took a knock that took him out of the game.
After Gallego's substitution, the Highlanders looked like they had lost a limb. Unable to utilize possession effectively, the side looked blunt in both the middle and the final third.
Khalid Jamil did not look like he knew what his side needed to break the monotony in their playing style. Long balls into the attacking third and deploying wing play against a rigid defensive setup spoiled NorthEast United FC's hope to bag all three points.
#3 NorthEast United FC players' lack of creativity
NorthEast United FC lacked creativity in the game. Be it in the build-up or progressing the ball through the middle third or creating an opportunity upfront in the final third. This has been evident in all three of their games in the ISL this season.
The team relied heavily on long balls from the defense to reach the final third but were unable to breach Chennaiyin FC's defensive lines.
#2 Chennaiyin FC's firing young Indians
Chennaiyin FC's captain Anirudh Thapa made a slicing run through the NorthEast United FC defense to finish a play and he got himself on the scoresheet. This was one of the few good things that worked out for the Marina Machans. As was Chhangte's performance on the wings.
Key to Bozidar Bandovic, Chhangte proved how his attributes can be key to Chennaiyin FC's pursuit of glory. His runs down the line gave North East United FC wing-backs too much to worry about. To top it all off, a thunderous strike to give his side the lead summed up his performance.
Rahim Ali's performance, too, cannot be overlooked. His physical prowess disrupting the attention of the defenders played a key role in the side's win.
You can find the full ISL 2021 schedule here.
#1 Bozidar Bandovic, a man with plans
Chennaiyin FC head coach Bozidar Bandovic seems like a man whose plans have been sorted. Although it is too early into the season to judge, Bandovic's approach has shown glimpses of how he thinks about every situation in the game.
Pragmatic by approach, Bozidar Bandovic likes to close the game down as soon as he feels his side can sail to victory. It will be interesting to witness how Chennaiyin FC unravel themselves into a dominant force under Bozidar Bandovic.
