FC Goa Beat Chennaiyin FC To Close Gap With Leaders Mohun Bagan

FC Goa closed the gap with top-placed Mohun Bagan Super Giant after a flawless 2-0 win against Chennaiyin FC in their Indian Super League match on Saturday. The Gaurs are placed second in the table with 33 points after this win, cutting the gap with the top-positioned Mohun Bagan Super Giant (37) to four points. The loss also extended Chennaiyin FC's winless run to six games, having last tasted a victory in the ISL during their 1-0 win against Hyderabad FC on December 11.

FC Goa held total control over this game, keeping 58.6% of the possession and taking eight shots on target as opposed to none of Chennaiyin FC.

Iker Guarrotxena got FC Goa ahead in the game with his sharp awareness inside the six-yard box.

Following a corner, Boris Singh received the ball on the right flank. Boris curled in a cross that was mishandled by Chennaiyin FC goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz.

Brison Fernandes lapped upon the chance but his shot ricocheted off the woodwork, and Guarrotxena picked up the loose ball and hammered it into the high centre of the goal in the 11th minute.

Nawaz partly redeemed himself six minutes later, as Aakash Sangwan burst into the box following a fast break by the Gaurs and shot firmly from a narrow angle on the left side.

Nawaz was forced to make an outstretched dive to get his hand at the end of the shot to save his side from conceding another strike. Sangwan did get the better of Nawaz in the 26th minute though, this time, from an even more difficult angle.

The gameplay seemed straight out of the training ground of the Gaurs, as Guarrotxena enabled them to build pressure on the Chennaiyin FC defence.

Abruptly, he broke that passage of play by making a backward pass to Carl McHugh. Unmarked, McHugh played a lobbed ball