📝Chicago Fire 3-2 NYC FC: Aleksandar Katai blitz turns game around | OneFootball

Nemanja Nikolić opened the scoring but Aleksandar Katai made the difference for Chicago Fire at home against New York City.

Chicago Fire were unbeaten in their four previous MLS matches heading into Saturday night. The home side scored early but found themselves trailing at the break before Katai made the game his.

In the 6th minute, Dax McCarty slipped a well-weighted pass into the path of Nemanja Nikolić. The Hungarian international forward made no mistake from inside the area to give Chicago the lead.

New York City FC responded with a pair of first half goals.

In the 36th minute, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi created a pocket of space by peeling away from left-back Jorge Luis Corrales before hitting a left-footed shot on which Chicago’s goalkeeper should have been done better.

Goalkeeper Richard Sánchez was again left red-in-the-face just four minutes later. Jo Inge Berget won his header rather uncontested and powered the ball past a motionless Sánchez in the 40th minute.

Early in the second half, though, Aleksandar Katai took the game by the scruff of the neck.

Racing up the right wing, Katai cut inside on NYC left-back Ben Sweat before he smacked a left-footed shot just inside the far post.

Just a few minutes later Katai exploited space on the right wing to great effect. The Serbian winger again isolated Sweat before also embarrassing centre-back Alexander Callens with a cut-back and finishing past the on-rushing Sean Johnson.

It’s great for Chicago head coach Veljko Paunović to see players like Katai step up when needed, but he’s got to be hoping his side won’t concede two soft goals every game.