Indian Super League: Chennaiyin FC draw 1-1 with Kerala Blasters
Chennaiyin FC drew Kerala Blasters 1-1 and broke their opponents' five-match winning streak in the Indian Super League on Monday. However, Kerala Blasters still haven't lost in six matches and have moved to fourth position, ahead of Odisha FC on goal difference.
Image credit: pia.images.co.uk Chennaiyin FC draws 1-1 with Kerala BlastersVincy Barretto's second-half equaliser secured a draw after Sahal Abdul Samad took the lead for the Blasters in the 23rd minute. Barretto responded with a goal in the 48th minute.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiyinFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiyinFC</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KeralaBlasters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KeralaBlasters</a> split the points after a hard-fought contest! ⚔️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CFCKBFC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CFCKBFC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeroISL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeroISL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsFootball?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsFootball</a><a href="https://t.co/JDHPxTCVa5">https://t.co/JDHPxTCVa5</a></p>— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndSuperLeague/status/1604887085974183936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When the match started, Adrian Luna found a quick opportunity with a free-kick that unfortunately went over the bar thanks to a terrific save by Debjit Majumder.
Luna made another similar attempt with a long-range free kick from the centre of the pitch that was saved again in the 21st minute. Halfway into the first half, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi sent a through ball to Sahal Samad, who sent a clever shot past the keeper.
Three minutes into the second half, half-time substitute Anwar Ali received a brilliant pass from Edwin Vanspaul. The striker's shot, however, was sent into Barretto's path by Prabhsukhan Gill.
The midfielder then converted against his former club. Chennaiyin are now seventh-ranked, just four points behind the last playoff spot. On Saturday, they will now visit the west coast to face Mumbai City.
Thomas Brdaric's side previously secured a thrilling 7-3 win at Guwahati over NorthEast United, and midfielder Nasser El Khayati scored a hat-trick. However, Chennaiyin have struggled for consistency and have only a single home victory this season — a 3-1 win over Jamshedpur.
Luckily, they derived confidence from their victory against the Highlanders, as per Brdaric, which helped them perform against Kerala Blasters.
Meanwhile, Kerala's defensive setup has been impeccable throughout the competition. Their head coach, Ivan Vukomanović, recently shed some light on their training process, explaining why his men are enjoying a good season.
"Kerala is a very good side and is on a winning streak but as I have said before, we never underestimate any of our opponents even if they have good results," he said.
Before their match against Chennaiyin, Vukomanović spoke about their preparations. "We had a special training this week and are also working on how to exploit their weakness," he remarked.
"We need to stick to our basics and play with common sense. Kerala Blasters are good in offence and we have made plans for it as well."
Unfortunately for the Blasters, they failed to win at the Marina Arena, and the last time both teams faced each other, Chennaiyin FC easily won the match.
Despite the tensions that enveloped both teams, they put up a good fight. In addition, Brdaric was questioned for keeping star player Nasser El Khayati on the bench.
He explained, "Nasser can make a difference when he is fit. But he had a niggle because of which he didn't start today."
"We want to see the players who work hard and deserve their place in the side and that is what I always do with the squad," he signed off.