FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC ISL 2023-24 Playoffs: Gaurs beat Marina Machans by 2-1 to qualify for semis

The Gaurs sealed their spot for the semi-final 2 against the Islanders after a 2-1 victory against the Marina Machans at the Fatorda Stadium in the ISL 2023-24. Noah Sadaoui and Brandon Fernandes' first-half goals were enough for Goa to beat Chennaiyin at home. Owen Coyle's inspiring season as the Marina Machans' coach comes to an end and now Manolo Marquez's side will face Petr Kratky's team in the Semi-Final on the 24th and 29th of April.

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FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC: The Gaurs qualify for the semi-final of the ISL 2023-24

Both teams went off to a flying start. Owen Coyle's side has played brave football in the past couple of months and it was expected that FC Goa will not have an easy fixture at home. Both teams started the game, creating lots of opportunities.

Carlos Martinez missed a great opportunity to set up Noah Sadaoui in the 33rd minute of the game. Noah recovered the ball but his shot got blocked at the end. But, the Gaurs didn't have to wait for so long as Noah broke the deadlock just after three minutes.

A poor clearance from Aakash Sangwan fell to Carl McHugh, who got a slight touch and it reached Noah on the edge of the box. He took a shot with his left foot and Debjit couldn't stop the ball from going in. FC Goa got the lead and it was the right time to take it.

The skipper then doubled the lead in the 45th minute for the Gaurs. Brandon Fernandes scored a stunning goal. He received the ball at the half line and carried it himself. Then he went for a goal from outside the box and smashed the ball into the top right bin. Debjit couldn't do anything about it and it was a very special goal for FC Goa. If we keep Brandon's goal aside, he still had a superb game.

He completed 14 out of his 20 attempted passes, drew two fouls, and created a couple of goal-scoring opportunities.

But Cirkovic brought the Marina Machans into the game and kept the hopes alive. Connor Shields whipped in a ball from the right towards Baretto inside the box. He won a corner for his side. The corner came in and the Goa shot-stopper Dheeraj spilled the ball after it was headed back towards the goal by Ryan Edwards and Cirkovic was there to tap it in. 

The second half also got off to a flying start. Chennaiyin FC pushed for the equaliser but Goa tried to keep the possession. In the 74th minute, a corner came in from Sangwan and Dheeraj couldn't collect the ball as he was crowded in the box. The ball bounced up in the box and headed towards the goal. However, Odei was there to head the ball away at the line to rescue Goa.

As the game progressed, the Chennaiyin players looked frustrated and FC Goa kept the possession till the end to snatch away the victory. We can say it was a game of two halves but at the same time, both sides tried to score in the second half. Now, The Gaurs are up against the Islanders in the second semi-final of the Indian Super League 2023-24 season.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐒 ⚔️ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒

A Blockbuster 2️⃣nd Semi-Final is on the cards! 🤩#FCGCFC #ISL #ISL10 #LetsFootball #ISLPlayoffs #FCGoa #MumbaiCityFC | @Sports18 @2014_manel pic.twitter.com/MlPi7DihA8

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) April 20, 2024