ISL 2025-26: Both teams were strong, and their weaknesses were evident early on. Misplaced passes, awkward actions, and calculated long-range drives were the main reasons for the lack of goals in the first half. Ultimately, a single mistake decided a match that required attacking quality.
ISL 2025-26: Mumbai City win is lackluster, Kotal own goal gives Chennaiyin the win
The legendary Johan Cruyff once said: “Playing football is easy, but playing simple football is difficult.”
Chennaiyin FC (CFC) learned this lesson the hard way in their Indian Super League (ISL) season opener when a brief distraction led to a 0-1 defeat to Mumbai City FC (MCFC) in Mumbai on Thursday.
Pritam Kotal was the only player to score at the Mumbai Football Arena, but his opponents left the field smiling.
Unfortunately, Chennaiyin's co-captain left the door open for MCFC with an own goal on a night when the hosts struggled to break the visitors' defense.
Kotel would be upset and angry at the end of the match, having lost the ball after a harmless delivery in the 49th minute. Jonny Koukou received a lucky assist when the Chennaiyin center-back, despite facing no challenge in the area, headed home.
While CFC tried their best to equalize the score, Mumbai City finally overcame a minor setback and made their best start of the campaign.
Overall, both teams were completely clinical, and their shortcomings were clearly visible in the opening period. Misplaced passes, stop-start actions, and guessed long-range drives were the main reasons for the goalless first half. Ultimately, it was a big mistake that decided a match that needed attacking quality.
