In a game of two halves, the champions of the previous two season viz Chennaiyin FC and Atletico de Kolkata shared the spoils. The visitors looked to have a hold on the game and deservedly went forward via a goal from their marquee star Helder Postiga in the 39th minute.
However, switching sides after the half-time interval meant a switch in the flow of the game as well as the defending champions came roaring back. And after missing a handful of chances themselves, finally got their equaliser in the 77th minute as Davide Succi headed in from around 7 yards out.
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The result sees Atletico rise to third spot on the table with 15 points from 11 games while Chennaiyin remained in sixth place but only a point behind. Here is how each of the players fared in this clash of the champions in Chennai.
Chennaiyin FC
Karanjit Singh (7/10)
Didn’t have much to do for most of the game. A spectator in the second half as Chennaiyin enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession.
Mehrajuddin Wadoo (7/10)
Failed to contain Postiga as he rose above Mehraj to head home the opener. The right flank, however, belonged to the man from Jammu and Kashmir in the second half. He had so much space and time on the right-hand side that he could have mistaken this for a class in physics.
Bernard Mendy (7.5/10)
The Frenchman was again his inspirational self in the blue of the Chennaiyin jersey. In fact, till Succi scored the goal, Mendy looked like the home side’s best bet at getting the equaliser.
Eli Sabia (7/10)
Sabia looked shaky in the opening moments as Atletico started brightly with crosses getting fizzed into the wings from both sides. He was punished for his indecisiveness in the first half as Postiga made the most. However, he got a lot back as he produced the cross for the eventual equaliser.
Jerry Lalrinzuala (6/10)
Not the most impressive games for the teenager. With Pritam Kotal overlapping, he had a lot on his hand. The man from the North East had a great opportunity to win it late. However, his first touch betrayed him at the death as he looked set to get in on the left.
Manuele Blasi (5.5/10)
Had a subdued game. Even when Kolkata went to a back five late on, Blasi failed to dictate terms with his play.
Hans Mulder (5/10)
A bad game from the Dutchman who looked a pale shadow of himself. He didn’t do much to warrant writing on him.
Zakeer Mundampara (6/10)
Zakeer enthralled the crowd with his long rangers. However, sadly for him and his team, none were on target. Prodded the ball here and there, but failed to make a telling contribution.
Raphael Augusto (7/10)
The Brazilian showed again why he is the heartbeat of the side. Augusto was Chennaiyin best bet in midfield as he dictated tempo, distributed and held up play as and when required.
Jeje Lalpekhlua (N/A)
Sadly Jeje was an early casualty as an injury forced him off.
Davide Succi (6.5/10)
The Italian was the mirror image of what has plagued this ISL viz. “bad finishing”. His failure to put the ball into the empty net in the 73rd minute was as big a howler we have seen in the ISL. However, his persistence paid off as he eventually got the equaliser with a well-directed header.
Substitutes
Daniel Lalhlimpuia (7/10)
One man’s food is another man’s poison and so it proved correct once again. While Jeje’s injury was unfortunate in every sense of the word, it also gave us a chance to get a glimpse into the future. The young man who plies his trade for Bengaluru FC in the I-League came in for the Indian international and showed us that he could be the same in a few years.
Showing composure beyond his years and the confidence to pull off a few exquisite skills, Daniel had the crowd roaring as he came to life late in the game.
Dudu (6.5/10)
Proved to be a nuisance at the back as he jostled for position and made threatening runs late in the match, setting the cat amongst the pigeons
Atletico de Kolkata
Debjit Majumder (8/10)
Majumdar is certainly etching his name as one of the best if not the best goalkeeper in the ISL this season. The Mohun Bagan man, who got his first national call-up earlier this year, again showed why it was a smart decision by the Atletico hierarchy to rope him in this season.
Pritam Kotal (8.5/10)
Kotal had been dropped after a string of under par performances. However, on his return to duty, the Indian international showed why he is considered one of the best right-backs in the country alongside Rino Anto. Kotal was not only resolute in his defensive duties but was also able to able to lend a different dimension to Atletico in their attack. His overlapping runs were a joy to watch and his pinpoint cross eventually resulted in the opener.
Arnab Mondal (6.5/10)
A resolute performance from Mondal at the back as he showed he might just be Atletico’s best bet at the Centre back position.
Henrique Sereno (6.5/10)
Solid in some phases. Iffy in others. The Portuguese always seems to have an error in him every game. However, in this game it his absence that hurt Atletico eventually as he had to be hauled off with an injury in the 53rd minute.
Keegan Pereira (6/10)
Didn’t have the best of games in his first start since joining Atletico after his AFC Cup campaign with Bengaluru FC. While Kotal provided magnificent width on the right, Perreira failed to replicate that on the left. Defensively found napping on a couple of occasions as Mehrajuddin Wadoo commanded that side of the field for the majority of the second half.
Stephen Pearson (5.5/10)
Was an absolute treat to watch in the first half as his clever movement and passing helped Kolkata grab an advantage over the defending champions. However, his horror show of strength in the second half led to the Chennaiyin equaliser.
Borja Fernandes (6.5/10)
With the wings working early on Borja didn’t have to play his Hollywood balls and instead looked to play intricate passes and spread the play around. However, as Kolkata went five at the back in the second half, he looked overworked and at times overwhelmed.
Javi Lara (6/10)
There was a lot to like about the Spaniard’s game in terms of deft touches and skills. However, when it came to delivering in dangerous situations, he failed.
Helder Postiga (7/10)
Got the opener with a well-placed header. However, in earnest, that should have been his second. Missed a glorious opportunity early on as a Lalrindika Ralte cross found him unmarked in the box only for the marquee star’s header to go crashing onto the upright and out.
Lalrindika Ralte (7/10)
Produced a couple of scintillating crosses in the opening minutes only to see both of them being wasted. After failing to pose much of a threat for the rest of the first half, the East Bengal man was substituted at half-time.
Juan Belencoso (6/10)
The man from Portugal is a hard worker but lacks the killer instinct in front of goal. And that again showed today.
Substitutes
Bidyanand Singh (5.5/10)
Failed to provide much down the left after coming on at half-time. It was also surprising that being a natural defensive midfielder; he failed to track the runs of Mehrajuddin Wadoo.
KInshuk Debnath (6/10)
Debnath's introduction was a unusual substitution as Molina didn’t seem too confident on him even before he had any meaningful contribution to the game. The Spaniard soon brought on Oftense Nato to reinforce at the back.
Ofentse Nato (6/10)
The defensive midfielder was slotted in at defence as the man from Botswana replaced Helder Postiga as Jose Molina tried to shut up shop. However, he was helpless when Succi directed the ball into the back of the net on the 78-minute mark.
