eISL Matchday 2 came to a close with two teams FC Goa and ATK Mohun Bagan securing victories and Chennayin FC settling for a draw, yet again. The matches were fiercely contested, and the winning teams showed their superiority with some impressive individual performances. Overall, it was another successful day in the eISL Season 2, with all six teams giving their best on the virtual pitch.
In the first match of eISL Matchday 2, FC Goa emerged as comfortable winners against Kerala Blasters, with a final scoreline of 4-1. Vanshaj's first-half goal broke the deadlock, and a flurry of goals in the second half from the Goan representative secured the win. Lokmanyu's late consolation goal for Kerala Blasters was not enough to deny FC Goa a well-deserved victory. The second game was a co-op match featuring Aadizema and Vanshaj against Lokmanyu and Shubham. The first half was a tight affair, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. However, FC Goa managed to break the deadlock with a goal in the second half, putting pressure on their opponents. The Goan duo then added a second goal around the 79th minute, securing their team's victory in the match. The third and final game saw FC Goa's Aadizema take on Kerala Blasters FC's Shubham in an exciting encounter. Aditya Dubey aka Aadizema started the game brightly, opening the scoring with two well-taken goals in the first half. However, Shubham managed to pull back two goals to stave off a clean sweep for FC Goa.
The second fixture of the evening saw ATK Mohun Bagan locking horns against Odisha FC in a thrilling encounter. The match started off on a high for the Mariners as Vicky scored the opening goal for ATKMB in the early minutes. Odisha FC suffered a blow when they were reduced to 10 men at the 33rd-minute mark and conceded a penalty, which Vicky calmly converted to double the lead for the Mariners. Vagya aka. Sarvagya scored a consolation goal for Odisha FC, but it was Vicky's day as he scored three more goals to complete a hat-trick and take ATK Mohun Bagan to a resounding 5-1 victory. The second co-op game between ATK Mohun Bagan and Odisha FC featured Vagya and Nate squaring up against Vicky and Afnan in a nail-biting thriller of a game. The Mariners drew first blood with a well-taken goal in the first half, but Odisha FC retorted back with a stunning equalizer - a volley that found the back of the net at the 82nd-minute mark. With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Odisha FC pulled off a clutch time winner at the 91st-minute mark, sealing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over ATK Mohun Bagan. The third game saw Nate and Afnan leading their respective sides. The eISL returnee, Afnan breezed through the game with a comfortable 2-0 victory. The match ended with the ATK Mohun Bagan securing their first win of the season.
The final fixture of the day saw the title defenders Chennaiyin FC take on Hyderabad FC, with Navin and Sid aka Jenasid leading their respective sides. Sid put on a clinical display, scoring three well-taken goals to help Hyderabad FC secure a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Machans. The second game was a co-op fixture that saw Sid and Warsi take on Tikkatown and Navin Haridoss, respectively. The match started off with Chennaiyin FC taking control of the game, as they scored two well-taken goals in the first half, courtesy of Tikka and Haridoss. Hyderabad FC tried to mount a comeback in the second half and managed to pull one back through Warsi's strike, but it proved to be too little too late as Chennaiyin FC a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hyderabad FC. The final game of the day featured a nerve-racking battle between Warsi and Tikka. Tikka got off to a blistering start, scoring a well-taken goal in the fourth minute to give his side an early lead. However, Warsi was quick to respond, scoring the equalizer for Hyderabad FC around the 28th-minute mark. The game was heavily contested, with both sides creating several chances and coming close to scoring on multiple occasions. In the dying minutes of the match, we saw a killer save from Hyderabad FC's side that denied Tikka's attempt to snatch a late winner. The game and match eventually ended in a 1-1 draw, with both sides sharing a point each.
eISL Season 2 action will be back with three marquee fixtures slated on 11th March 2023. The action will begin at 7 PM IST with matches being streamed live on eISL Gaming YouTube and Indian Super League YouTube handles.
