Tuesday’s I-League 2022–23 match between Rajasthan United FC and Aizawl FC at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi resulted in a 1-0 victory for Rajasthan United FC. At the conclusion of a tense match in which numerous chances were produced at both ends, the captain Martin Chaves’ deflected shot in the 12th minute proved to be the deciding factor between the sides.
Rajasthan United FC defeats Aizawl FC in a nail-biting thriller in the I-League
Rajasthan’s three-game losing streak came to an end as a consequence of this victory, while Aizawl lost for the first time in five games.
The hosts had the initiative right away after the game’s opening kickoff and pushed aggressively forward in pursuit of the first goal.
With Joseba Beitia’s chipped through-pass allowing Martn Cháves to find Palembang with a low cross in the third minute, they should have been up a goal right away. The midfielder blundered in his positioning, however, and his close-range attempt went over the crossbar.
The goal was finally scored by Rajasthan in the 12th minute as they persisted in dominating the game. Aizawl goalkeeper Lalmuansanga was beaten by a fizzing shot from Cháves that deflected off of defender Akito Saito and into the net. Aidar Mambetaliev found Cháves in free space down the left flank, and the Uruguayan rushed into the penalty area.
The visitors, who had scored four goals against Mumbai Kenkre in their previous game, then started to find their passing rhythm and tried to pose a threat with set pieces and crosses from either flank. In the 28th minute, Emmanuel Makinde came the closest to tying the score when he got his head to a free-kick from the left side but was unable to hit the target. He got a similar opportunity from a corner kick ten minutes later, but he misjudged the height of the goal.
Both teams had slim scoring opportunities as the half came to a conclusion. Aizawl’s Jeremy Laldinpuia struggled to make a good connection on a cross from the right side, while Cháves’ long-range attempt was straight at the goalkeeper and intercepted on the opposite end.
At the hour mark, a free kick 20 yards from goal gave Aizawl a fantastic opportunity. The set piece was taken by replacement Lalramsanga, but it was directed directly at the defence wall. The Reds did score in the following play, but it did not count because play had already been stopped for offside.
In the 69th minute, the Desert Warriors, looking for their second goal, were only centimetres away from increasing their lead. In the following attack, Lalremsanga capitalised on a through-pass from Beitia and skimmed his finish just wide of the post after Bektur Amangeldiev’s attempt from outside the penalty area had just missed the crossbar.
The opportunity for Aizawl to tie the game was missed in the 76th minute. An unmarked David Lalhlansanga was inexplicably missed by Matas Verón’s exquisite low cross as he came on as a substitute and sprinted to the byline from the right side. Lalramsanga was given the opportunity to shoot at the edge of the box six minutes later, but goalkeeper Rafique Ali Sardar deflected the ball for a corner.
With three minutes remaining, Chaves squandered a chance to end the game. He was through on goal and had an open net in front of him after rounding the goalkeeper, but the Uruguayan excessively delayed his shot, allowing Kimkima to recover and prevent the goal.