Talking Points from the high-scoring thriller between Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa

Sergio Lobera brings in a footballing style ISL hasn’t seen before

The defenders almost always had a spare man nearby and Chennayin players realised their ploy too little too late. Bruno was the architect of it all, who with an 88% passing accuracy instilled the tiki-taka passing at Goa’s backline. With the visitors enjoying the lion’s share of the possession, Chennai were bound to find it frustrating and their lack of patience became the biggest chunk in their armour. Defending with a 4-4-1-1 setup, the hosts often found themselves ending up in three vs three situations on the break as they would all close in on Goa players, and after a few lucky escapes Goa did start taking their chances with deflections helping their cause as well.  

As tiki-taka was highly susceptible to high-pressing, which the footballing world later realised, John Gregory, too, found it only after conceding three goals. Given the high scoring history that the fixture has always maintained over the past three seasons, Chennai were bound to improve in the second-half.

Gregory had plenty to deal with at half-time and he brought on Bikramjit Singh and Gregory Nelson in place of tired D’achandra Singh and Rene Mielic. And things looked to improve massively in the midfield as the hosts hit the crossbar twice within five minutes. Though tiredness creeping in Goa players was also a significant factor in the second half, Chennai’s high pressure did make things worse for them.

The Showstopper

The manner in which Manuel Lanzarote got his goal was enough to get him the Man of the Match honour. The former Barcelona reserve player was the lynchpin to FC Goa’s beautiful machinery boasting a 71% passing accuracy. The midfielder created three chances for his side, getting one assist and scored a goal after with just four attempts.

One other significant cog in FC Goa’s wheel was Corominas. The forward had everything spot-on today and it reaped fruits for the player with a goal. With a passing accuracy of 79% and some exquisite touches in the thick of the midfield, Corrominas needed just two attempts to find the goal. Other teams will surely have to watch out the Spanish Armada FC Goa has now, as they will only improve with every passing game.