I-League 2018-19: Key points from this week's matches
The I-League has not disappointed this season, and things have gotten as intense as ever. Chennai City still lead the table with 30 points from 13 matches, while Churchill Brothers and Real Kashmir trail them by five points each. East Bengal, with a game in hand, are at number four with 22 points. How did this week's matches affect the league table? Let's discuss.
Table-toppers Chennai City surprisingly faced tough competition from Aizawl this week, a team who are 10th on the league table. Chennai were winning 4-1 when Aizawl scored twice in stoppage time to make it 4-3. Given the result, the league leaders have to be conscious about their defense. That said, it was impressive on Aizawl's part to show their mettle against the top side.
Kolkata giants East Bengal were struggling against Indian Arrows at home, and though they managed to win, they were far from dominant in the match. Jaime Santos Colado scored the only goal, as Arrows proved to be the better side on the ball. EB have to fine-tune their performance and create more convincing scoring chances if they want to stay in the title race.
Real Kashmir got an away win against Shillong Lajong with a scoreline of 0-1, and thus continue breathing down the necks of Churchill Brothers and Chennai City. Although Shillong were quite good with possession in the first half, Kashmir's brilliant defense kept them from taking a lead. David Robertson made vital changes in the second half which led to Kashmir scoring the winner.
Churchill Brothers had a tough encounter when they hosted NEROCA, but managed to remain at the second spot on the league table with a win. NEROCA were the first to score, doing so in the 24th minute, but Churchill staged a comeback with two Willis Plaza strikes in the 85th and 91st minutes. The match showed their ability to deal with tough situations.
Notably, this week, both Pedro Manzi and Willis Plaza scored twice each, meaning that both still are tied on the top goalkeepers' spot with 13 goals each. Manzi has now scored 13 goals in 11 matches only, and if he continues this splendid form, chances are he might edge past Plaza, who has taken 13 matches to score his share of goals.
