On December 7, Emami East Bengal FC secured their second win of the ongoing ISL by defeating Chennaiyin FC at their home ground, the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. With a 2-0 scoreline, Oscar Bruzon earned his second victory.
The first half ends without any goals, as Chennaiyin FC and East Bengal FC took a measured approach to the game. While there were a few promising moves, neither side managed to create any clear-cut chances. With maximum 54% ball possession Chennaiyin ended the first half, However, East Bengal came alive in the second half.
In the second half, Chennaiyin FC had an early chance when Farukh Chaudhury attempted a right-footed half-volley from a cross, but it went straight into Prabhsukhan’s hands. However, East Bengal found the net in the very next minute.
Down the right, they built up a counter-attack as Saul Crespo passed the ball from inside the box. The keeper’s outstretched leg deflected it, but PV Vishnu calmly placed the ball into the net, giving his team the lead first at Chennaiyin’s home ground.
In the 72nd minute, just outside the left edge of the box, Dilliana committed a foul on PV Vishnu, conceding a free kick in a promising position. Substitute player Cleiton Silva stepped up to take it, but his attempt was off target.
However, in the 84th minute, East Bengal doubled their lead. From the left, Nanda Kumar took a shot that was intercepted by a Chennaiyin defender. Off the rebound, substitute Jeakson unleashed a long, on-target strike, changing the score to 2-0 in favor of his team.
With that win, East Bengal secured back-to-back victories with clean sheets for the first time in their Indian Super League history. And moved to the 11th position on the points table with 7 points from 9 matches, leaving behind Mohammedan SC and Hyderabad SC. And Chennaiyin remains in 9th position with 12 points from 11 matches.
Next fixtures for Chennaiyin FC and East Bengal : Chennaiyin will host their next match against Hyderabad FC on December 11. East Bengal FC will return to Kolkata to host Odisha FC on December 12.
