Chennaiyin FC dismantled East Bengal 5-3, exposing defensive weaknesses despite three goals from the visitors in Chennai.
East Bengal’s winning run came to an abrupt halt in Chennai as Chennaiyin FC handed the Moshal brigade a 5-3 defeat in a thrilling eight-goal encounter. Returning to action after their heartbreaking defeat against Al Seeb, the Red and Gold brigade were hoping to bounce back and maintain their momentum. However, Antonio Lopez Habas’s men endured a difficult evening at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, with their defensive frailties exposed by an energetic Chennaiyin side. The Marina Machans dominated large parts of the contest, with Brison Fernandes and Irfan Yadwad leading the charge in an emphatic victory. Despite finding the net three times, East Bengal struggled to contain the home side’s attacking threat.
Chennaiyin dominated the first half
East Bengal FC missed the services of Anwar Ali as the Marina Machans invaded the Red and Gold defence thrice. From the first whistle, the Blues were in charge of the ball, especially as French midfielder Madidh Talal and Irfan Yadwad troubled the Mohun Bagan defence. Brison Fernandes who had not found a goal this season, opened his scoring account in the first four minutes of the match.
Irfan Yadwad entered the penalty box from the right and shot a pass to Fernandes which first deflected off the feet of Talal then moved to Brison on the left, providing a confident lead for his team. The impressive start of Marina Machans turned into a goal fest in no time. Continuous attacks left East Bengal answering so many questions. In the sixth minute, Ramon again shot the ball but it sailed above the net. Just after that Yadwad failed to finish a volley by Talal in the 10th minute.
When the home team continuously maintained possession, the red and gold brigade was barely able to take any shots in the first 10 minutes. It was PV Vishnu who took a shot from the left but it landed straight into the hands of Nawaz. Lalchungunga also created an opportunity but it also ended up with no results.
One of the finest goals of the season so far came from Brison Fernandes in the 18th minute when he took a shot from the left of the penalty box. Talal placed the ball for Brison in front of the penalty box and then Fernandes took a shot from a distance which curved into the net.
Prabh Sukhan Gill had a busy day; his glove work saved East Bengal from a shameful loss, one of the prominent saves by Gill came in the 21st minute when Yadwad passed the ball from the left to Talal who took a shot but Gill, jumped to the right of the goal to save the ball.
East Bengal found their first goal in the 28th minute through Ake Loba. The Chennaiyin defenders failed to stop Ramirez and he assisted the ball from the right to Loba who just chipped the ball into the net. As the match headed towards its first half with Chennaiyin firmly controlling the ball, Jeakson Singh gained a yellow card for a foul in the penalty area. Ramon Tonque used the penalty to score Chennaiyin’s third of the night.
Talal, the showman of the first half had to leave the field because of discomfort in his hamstring; Chawngtu came in as his replacement. The first half ends with Chennaiyin leading 3-2, leaving Antonio Lopez Habas’s team to organise their defence.
The Chennaiyin FC show continues
Right after the whistle of the second half, East Bengal found a ray of hope as Muhammed Saheef’s handball gave the red and gold brigade a chance to turn things around in this match. Dani Ramirez took the penalty, which was converted into the second goal for East Bengal. But the hope did not last for long as Yadawad took a run from the midfield to pass the ball to Ramon who passed the ball to Chawngtu from the right of the penalty area, Chawngtu took a powerful shot and Yadawad, who was in front of the goal just guided the ball into the net.
East Bengal’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed fully when in the 68th minute Yadwad found the ball in a defender-less penalty area, leaving no room for kindness for Gill, Ramon assisted the ball for Irfan Yadwad who scored his brace of the night. Chennaiyin then continued their momentum; a few opportunities were also made but they failed to convert them. In the additional time, East Bengal scored their third goal of the night when David, with his right-footed shot, scored his first goal of the match.
The match ended up with Chennaiyin FC winning the match 5-3; the scoreboard can tell a different story altogether but in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, East Bengal were just outplayed. The Marina Machans showed their best performance against one of the most proven sides which will help them to move forward with some confidence. For East Bengal, the loss will be hard to process but it will be an opportunity to come back with better planning.
ISL 2026-27 – Chennaiyin FC vs East Bengal FC highlights
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