In what can be stated as a beautiful tale of resurgence, East Bengal FC sealed their second consecutive victory, thrashing Chennaiyin FC 2-0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, December 7. (Match Highlights)
The match kicked off with both teams struggling to break down each other's defence. Chennaiyin, boosted by home crowd support, enjoyed more possession but failed to create clear-cut chances in the first half and struggled even more in the second.
East Bengal, with fewer shots, looked dangerous on the counter but also lacked the finishing touch. Despite a few shots from both sides, the first half ended goalless.
Nevertheless, the game came to life in the second half when the Red and Gold Brigade broke the deadlock in the 54th minute. Vishnu Puthiya capitalized on a loose ball in the box and slotted it into the bottom corner, giving the visitors a well-deserved lead.
No doubt, the Marina Machans pushed for an equalizer but couldn't find a way past East Bengal's solid defense. Determined to respond, Owen Coyle made attacking substitutions, introducing Vincy Barretto, Jordan Gil, and Gurkirat Singh just after the hour mark. However, despite their efforts, Chennaiyin couldn’t find an equalizer.
The match was put beyond the reach of the hosts in the 84th minute when Jeakson Singh unleashed a stunning right-footed shot from outside the box, sending it into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0.
This victory marked East Bengal's second consecutive win, having previously defeated NorthEast United 1-0.
On the other hand, for Chennaiyin, this defeat marked their third consecutive loss, following a 1-0 loss to Mohun Bagan and a 0-3 defeat to Kerala Blasters.
Now the Machans will seek to bounce back when they take on Hyderabad FC at home on December 11, Wednesday. Meanwhile, East Bengal will try to maintain their momentum agaisnt Odisha FC on December 13.
