Kerala Blasters FC made headlines on January 30, 2025, by defeating Chennaiyin FC 3-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, marking their first away win against the southern rivals.
The Indian Super League (ISL) clash kicked off with high stakes—both teams were eager to secure points for their playoff aspirations. Kerala, currently positioned eighth on the ISL table, took the lead just three minutes after the kickoff. Jesús Jiménez capitalized on defensive lapses and drilled the ball past Chennai's goalkeeper, Mohammed Nawaz, establishing his team’s dominance right from the start. "Jimenez squeezed the ball past Mohammad Nawaz from a tight angle," reported Khel Now, emphasizing the early advantage.
Chennaiyin FC aimed to respond quickly, generating some scoring opportunities through Ryan Edwards and Irfan Yadwad from set-pieces delivered by Connor Shields. Yet, their momentum took a severe hit when Wilmar Jordan received a red card for foul play against Kerala's Milos Drincic, reducing the home side to ten men.
The Blasters capitalized on this numerical superiority and doubled their score just before half-time. Korou Singh, making significant strides as one of the youngest players, netted the second goal after receiving an assist from Adrian Luna. This solidified Kerala's lead, making it 2-0 going to the break. The achievement of Korou, making him the youngest goal-scorer for Kerala Blasters FC, was noted by MyKhel.
Continuing to press the advantage, Kerala added to their tally early in the second half. A swift counter-attack saw Luna providing another assist, this time to Kwame Peprah, who neatly finished it off, taking the score to 3-0. Chennaiyin's defense struggled to maintain its structure, struggling against the pace of Kerala’s attackers.
Sachin Suresh, Kerala's goalkeeper, showcased remarkable form by denying Chennai's advanced threats, solidifying their lead. "Sachin Suresh kept Chennaiyin's attackers at bay for the most part," Khel Now highlighted, detailing his impressive saves. Late on, Chennaiyin managed to score their consolation goal through Vincy Barretto, but it was too little, too late.
Despite the final score of 3-1, Chennaiyin’s hope of mounting any significant comeback never materialized. Their frustrations were evident, culminating when players exhibited visible tensions on the pitch. Notably, there was drama surrounding star player Noah Sadaoui, who got involved in a skirmish with teammate Adrian Luna following the final whistle, causing concern for team morale.
This great win not only strengthens Kerala Blasters' playoff ambitions but also adds confidence as they continue their ISL campaign. With this victory, they moved to 24 points, ensuring their contention for the top six places remains open as the season progresses. They will need to build on this momentum, especially with five more matches remaining where every point will be pivotal.
Conversely, Chennaiyin FC will need to regroup and rethink their strategies as they face East Bengal next. Their disappointing run shows urgency for improvement as they are now clutching onto survival, sitting tenth with just 18 points from 17 games.
Overall, this match showcased the dynamic competitive spirit of Indian football, where early strikes, tactical play, and player discipline can heavily influence the outcome, leaving fans excited for what’s next on the ISL horizon.