Like last year, FC Goa handed Chennaiyin FC a defeat at the latter’s first home match with a clinical 3-1 win on Saturday.
The visitors scored identical goals at the start of each half thanks to some shoddy piece of defending from the reigning champions before Serigne Fall put it beyond the home team in the 80th minute with the third goal of the day.
Like in its first game against Bengaluru FC, CFC was rusty in its defence and Goa made full use of it with its attacking style of play, pressing high and creating chances.
The visitors did not have to wait long to get on board when a defensive lapse from Chennaiyin’s Anirudh Thapa allowed Goa to go ahead in the 12th minute.
A throw-in the from the right side near the flag saw Lenny Rodrigues send an innocuous pass and Thapa fluffed a simple clearance missing the ball completely that found Eduardo Bedia, who gleefully shot into the near post.
Later in the first-half, CFC found its groove with bit more organised play with good support from Inigo Calderon on the right side pushing high.
But again like in the last match, CFC missed easy chances, starting with Thapa who missed a shot over the top after combining well with Gregory Nelson.
Nelson was once again in the thick of the action after receiving a ball from the midfield and cut beautifully past the defender to take a shot that went just wide of the post.
In the 53rd minute Seriton Fernandes received a throw-in from Hugo Boumous and sent a simple pass near the box and Goa’s star striker Ferran Corominas made full use of a sleeping Chennai defence, running behind unmarked to tap it in and doubled the lead for the visitors.
In the 80th minute, receiving a corner, Ahmed Jahouh sent a ball inside that was headed by Corominas to Fall who headed in past the CFC custodian to make it 3-0.
The only consolation for the home team came when Eli Sabia headed in a corner to score the first goal for Chennaiyin FC this season.
The result: Chennaiyin FC 1 (Eli Sabia 90+5) lost to FC Goa 3 (Eduardo Bedia 12, Ferran Corominas 53, Mourtada Fall 80).