Super Cup Indian Player Ratings: Anirudh Thapa the shining beacon as Chennaiyin edge NorthEast

The Marina Machans came from behind to secure a berth in the semifinal of the tournament.

Chennaiyin FC came from behind to beat Northeast United 2-1, as John Gregory's men progress to the semifinals of the Super Cup on Sunday. The Marina Machans will face their ISL counterparts ATK in the last four of the tournament.

It was Rowllin Borges who broke the deadlock for the Highlanders early on in the ninth minute. However, John Gregory's men came back with a strong reply with Mailson and Anirudh Thapa finding the back of the net in the first half itself. NorthEast had their chances after the break but could not find an equaliser.

Chennaiyin FC

Karanjit Singh- 6.5

It was a good game for the Chennaiyin custodian, as he came up with some brilliant saves to deny NorthEast. Karanjit did not have much to do apart from a stunning save from Puitea's shot. Even the goal he conceded was not his fault, but a show of miscommunication between the defenders.

Laldinliana Renthlei- 6.0

Renthlei had a decent outing, he contained the threat of Traidis early on and kept him in check for most of the first half. In the second half, he was kept busy as Girik Khosla did trouble him in some instances, as the youngster's blistering pace was

Tondonba Singh- 6.0

Showed glimpses of his attacking prowess through his overlapping runs, but had the correct balance in attack and defence. However, he had a tough time in controlling the energetic Nikhil Kadam. The former Mohun Bagan man outwitted him on numerous occasions. Tondonba came up with an excellent defensive block from Khosla's goal bound shot.

Dhanpal Ganesh- 6.5

After being injured for most of the season, Ganesh has not looked his former self. However, he had a decent outing against the Highlanders as he shielded the ball really well in midfield and went toe to toe with Rowllin and Leudo in the middle of the park and supplemented Thapa really well.

Anirudh Thapa- 7.5

Thapa has had a topsy turvy season with Chennaiyin in the ISL but he is looking to redeem himself in the Super Cup. Thapa was the chief orchestrator and was in the midst of almost each an every attacking move. He scored an excellent goal, snatching the ball in the midfield and getting past the defenders before slotting it home past Gurmeet. The India international turned provider for Mailson, as the Brazilian's thumping header gave them the lead.

CK Vineeth- 6.5

Probably the most hardworking player on the pitch for Chennaiyn, as he put in those hard yards in attack and kept the defenders on their toes. Vineeth was successful in getting into the pockets of space in the final third and linked up well with Thapa in the attacking buildups, keeping John Gregory's side always on the hunt.

Jeje Lalpekhlua- 5.5

It has been a tough period for the Indian forward and the, unfortunately, Jeje has not been able to break the shackles till now. He supported Vineeth on the counters and was involved in multiple attacking build up. Jeje could provide enough teeth going in front for the Machans and was substituted by Thoi Singh late in the second half.

Substitutions

Thoi Singh- 6.0

Thoi Singh replaced the off colour Jeje as John Gregory wanted to inject pace and energy and also increased manpower in midfield. Thoi was involved in some buildup play and helped out his defender on numerous occasions as his side was looking to see out the game.

Mohammed Rafi- N/A

Replaced CK Vineeth in the dying minutes of the matches and did not make any impact.

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NorthEast United FC

Gurmeet Singh- 5.0

The young custodian was trusted over Pawan Kumar by Schattorie and he did not manage to repay the faith shown on him. He was clumsy with his handling and could have done better to stop Thapa's goal. He was also saved from a late blemish as he handled the ball outside the box but was not caught by the referee.

Shouvik Ghosh- 5.0

Shouvik had an off day on the left flank and was completely dominated by Gregory Nelson on the counter attacks, as he could not keep up with the Dutchman's pace. Things started to improve when he was shifted to centre back position as the defender found his feet in the second half.

Reagan Singh- 5.0

Reagan was not at his best against Chennaiyin, his overlapping runs were checked well by the opposition defenders. Reagan is known for his whipping crosses and today that he was nowhere near perfection on that department, as his deliveries did not reach the intended targets in the penalty area.

Rowllin Borges- 6.0

Despite the result, Rowllin was the driving force in midfield for Eelco Schattorie's men. It was not his best day at the office for the midfield but still, he worked tirelessly in the middle of the park. He was rewarded for his efforts with a goal early on in the game.

Nikhil Kadam- 6.5

Probably the best player for the visitors in the first half, Kadam could not keep up his good work after the break. He broke through the Chennaiyin defence like smooth butter and made life difficult for Tondonba early on. However, the second half was not the same for the winger as could keep up the intensity for Schattorie's men.

Lalthathanga Khawlring- 6.0

A match of mixed emotion for the midfielder, Puitea was exceptional in midfield in early exchanges of the match. He complemented Rowllin really well and was in the middle of almost every attacking buildup from his side. He saw his shot brilliantly saved by Karanjit which could have been a crucial point in the game. However, he was not the same as the game went on as he could not keep pace with Thapa in the middle of the park.

Substitutions

Girik Khosla- 7.0

Came on for Triadis at the start of second half and was the best player for the Highlanders in the match. Khosla used his blistering pace to outwit Renthlei and did it with perfection. His runs down the right wings threatened the Chennaiyin defence and could have created a few goals from his crosses as Ogbeche's shot was saved on the line by Mailson and Mascia's shot struck the bar.

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Keegan Pereira- 6.5

Another masterstroke change from Schattorie at the break, as Keegan's presence in the second half, made the Highlanders a more threatening force in attack. Keegan was busy on the overlap and his deliveries caused all sorts of problems for John Gregory's men.