ISL 2015: Mendoza's hat-trick puts Chennaiyin back on track as they thrash FC Goa

Chennaiyin dominated the match from the first whistle. Marco Materazzi opted for the pace of Stiven Mendoza and Jayesh Rane in attack, instead of the brute force of Fikru, and this provided to be a masterstoke.

Elano, who was disappointing in the previous two games, looked back to his best as he ripped apart the Goa defence with his play-making. The Brazilian provided two golden opportunities for Rane and Mendoza in the opening five minutes of the match, but the duo failed to provide the finish his passes deserved.

Gregory Arnolin and Lucio were struggling to keep up with the pace of the Chennaiyin attackers, and in the ninth minute of the match, the inevitable took place. Elano set Mendoza up with another brilliant through-ball and although Elinton Andrade managed to partially save the shot, the Colombian forward tucked the ball into the net, off the rebound.

Raphael Augusto and Elano controlled the midfield as FC Goa hardly touched the ball in the first 15 minutes of the match. In fact, it took them 17 minutes to make their first meaningful attack when Leo Moura picked out Keenan Almeida on the right flank with a through ball. The 23-year-old, however, squandered the opportunity.

In the 26th minute of the game, Chennaiyin were provided with another great opportunity to extend their lead. Andrade picked up a back pass from Lucio with his hands and the referee awarded a free-kick at the edge of the six-yard box. Bernard Mendy's shot was, however, saved by the goalkeeper as he redeemed his mistake from earlier.

Finally in the 42nd minute of the game, Elano doubled Chennaiyin's lead with a composed finish. The former Manchester City midfielder was set up by a lovely pass by Jayesh Rane, and Elano slotted it past Andrade.

Elano nearly scored another at the start of the second half as Thoi Singh pulled back the ball after a fine run down the right wing, but the Brazilian's shot was blocked by Andrade with his right foot. The first half ended 2-0, with Chennai looking more menacing by the minute.

Goa managed to garner more possession in the second half, partly due to the fact that Chennaiyin sat back a bit and were looking to hit the home side on the counter-attack.

Zico's men were unlucky not to be awarded with a penalty, in the 57th minute of the game, when Ralte brought down Jofre with a rash challenge in the box. Goa's protest didn't change the referee's mind as he deemed it to be just a corner.

Just minutes after that incident, Mendoza scored his second of the night as Chennaiyin hit Goa on the counter. Elano was once again the man behind the move as he played a lovely pass in behind the Goa defense. The Chennaiyin striker finished it off with a lovely chip over the on-rushing goalkeeper.

It didn't take him long to complete his hat-trick as Bruno Pelissari, who replaced Elano on the pitch, picked him up with a lovely cross from the right wing. Mendoza chested down the ball and volleyed it past Andrade to put Chennaiyin 4-0 into the lead.

The home side were once again denied an opportunity to score in the 81st minute of the game. C.S Sabeeth's shot struck the crossbar and the ball went over the line, before bouncing out into safety. The linesman, however, didn't pick it up and failed to award the goal to Goa.

In the end it was an emphatic win for Chennaiyin FC, who have silenced the naysayers with an all-round performance. Marco Materazzi got his team selection and tactics spot on for this game and the Italian will be pleased with the effort of his players.

For Zico, it is back to the drawing board. Goa have performed admirably in the first two games, but this match was a wake-up call. Their inability to press the Chennaiyin midfield whenever Chennaiyin held possession is a concern he needs to address, along with the vulnerability of his defense that Chennaiyin exposed tonight.