FC Goa defeat Chennaiyin FC 2-1 to move into the semi-finals | ISL 2023-24

FC Goa beat Chennaiyin FC 2-1 in the second playoff qualifier of the ISL 2023-24 season at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Saturday (April 20).

With the victory, the Gaurs qualified for the semi-finals of the ISL 2023-24 season.

FC Goa qualified for the playoffs, finishing third in the regular league season. Chennaiyin FC qualified for the playoffs, finishing sixth in the regular league season. It was a one-game knockout, and both sides treated it like a final.

The two sides played each other in their last league game of the season, where the Gaurs emerged victorious. A similar story played out on Saturday at the Fatorda again.

The game started on a good note for the hosts as Noah Sadaoui latched onto a loose ball in the Chennaiyin midfield and hit a shot in the first minute, but his effort was saved easily by Debjit Majumdar.

Chennaiyin FC didn't have to wait long for their first chance as Connor Shields' attempt went just above the post in the second minute. Noah Sadaoui saw his shot in the ninth minute being saved by Debjit Majumdar.

Both sides tried hard to break the deadlock but weren't too successful in doing so. The man of the moment, Noah Sadaoui, finally broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when he made no mistake in slotting the ball into the net after receiving a rebounded loose ball inside the box.

FC Goa's captain Brandon Fernandes doubled the lead for the Gaurs in the 45th minute when he dribbled into open space and hit a wonder strike from outside the box. Chennaiyin FC did manage to get one goal back in added time of the first half as Lazar Cirkovic made full use of a Dheeraj Singh spill from a corner. The scoreboard at halftime read 2-1 in favor of the hosts.

The second half saw Chennaiyin FC coming out with more vigor in search of the equalizer. Jordan Murray had a good chance in the 47th minute, but his header from an Ankit Mukherjee cross was saved by Dheeraj.

Jordan Murray and Vincy Barreto missed the best chance of the game to give Chennaiyin FC the equalizer, but both their attempts were saved and blocked. Jordan Murray should have scored with Dheeraj out of his line but his attempt was blocked by the FC Goa defense.

Both sides had their share of chances in the remaining minutes of the game, but neither side managed to change the scoreline. The scoreboard at full-time read 2-1 in favor of the hosts.

FC Goa set up a date with Mumbai City FC

Manolo Marquez will be a happy man as he saw his side overcome the playoffs and Chennaiyin FC's threat to qualify for the semi-finals. FC Goa will now play Mumbai City FC in the two-legged semi-final.

The Gaurs, though, will want to work on a couple of aspects before facing Mumbai City on April 24 for their first leg of the semi-finals. Their defense and especially Dheeraj's blunders, are a cause for concern for Manolo Marquez.

FC Goa will also want to sharpen their finishing in front of the goal as they missed some good chances which could have put the game past any doubt.

Chennaiyin FC ended a good season with a loss

No one really expected Owen Coyle's side to qualify for the playoffs at the start of the season or being more precise during the first half of the season. The Marina Machans were languishing at the 11th spot at one point of the season.

Owen Coyle and his boys managed to pull off one dramatic comeback to qualify for the playoffs. This performance by Chennaiyin FC will be remembered for a long time given what they achieved after being in the position they were in.