There was no acrimony, hardly any controversy, but the result was the same – a win for Chennaiyin FC at the expense of FC Goa. The defending champions came up trumps in the ISL 2015 final rematch, and with it picked up their first win of the new season.
Coming into this ISL 2016 game looking for their first win, both Goa and Chennai would have known the importance of an early goal, and, after Zico's side were denied a possible penalty right at the start of the match, it was Chennaiyin who got on the scoresheet.
Hans Mulder was given too much time just outside the penalty box and the midfielder needed no second invitation, curling in a nice strike into the bottom corner on 15 minutes.
Eleven minutes later, Chennaiyin made it 2-0 with Mehrajuddin Wadoo seeing his cross-shot take a big deflection off the Goa defender Rafael Dumas to hit the back of the net. From there it was about completing the Italian job and Chennaiyin defence did really well to nullify any Goa threat.
"Last week I said it was my fault, and you know it's not only the defence but it is the whole team that makes the game," Chennaiyin FC manager Marco Materazzi said. "We came in with a whole new mentality and what I told my players is that if we put the heart in, the will, the hunger, then we can win. If not then we are not the same team and we can be at the bottom of the table."
While Chennaiyin now have a respectable four points from three matches, FC Goa have none from three. If the ISL 2015 finalists don't find their form soon, their season could be over before it has even really begun.
"I think it was a game of quite a few opportunities," Zico, the FC Goa manager, said. "Chennai had three chances and scored twice. We also had a few chances.
"Maybe nothing is going for us right now but we will work hard to rectify this. Of course, I am not happy. In the first season we got only five points from the first round (of matches). But we got into the semifinals. This is just three games and nothing is lost."
