Delhi Dynamos drew their third consecutive home match as their Indian Super League match against defending champions Atletico de Kolkata on Saturday.
Atletico de Kolkata forward Iain Hume broke the deadlock in the 27th minute but Richard Gadze leveled it for Delhi in the 61st minute at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in a match riddled with decisions that didn’t go down well among players from either sides.
Both teams had tweak their lineup to welcome the returning internationals from their national duty, as the made three changes each. Atletico de Kolkata welcomed Postiga to the bench but Augustine Fernandes, Jewel Raja and Valdo saw their names in the starting lineup. Delhi welcomed Robin Singh a the man who scored a beautiful goal against Guam a along with Chicao and Gustavo Dos Santos to their starting eleven.
Delhi, who had defeated Kolkata 1-0 in the first leg at the Salt Lake Stadium, made a poor start to the game allowing Atletico de Kolkata with more possession along with the control during the initial quarter of the game. Delhi though were the first to test their opponent from a free-kick just outside box but captain John Arne Riise’s shot was struck his own player Seminlen Doungel and averted the danger.
Kolkata responded by breaking the deadlock on the 27th minute after Delhi goalkeeper Antonio Doblas committed a howler by failing to collect the cross. Kolkata wingback Rino Anto, who went on the overlapping run, fired in a low cross from the right, which was flapped by Doblas into the path of Ian Hume who blasted it to the roof of Delhi net.
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Both managers did not bring in any substitutions when the second half began, and Delhi made the better start to the match after the break. Delhi Dynamo’s talisman Florent Malouda had a chance in the 56th minute from just outside the box off a fine pass from Robin, but he shot over. Delhi didnt wait for much long after that as Richard Gadze equalised in the 61st minute as the crowd inside the stadium erupted.
Gadze had an instant impact since coming into the field in place of a largely inconspicuous Gustavo Dos Santos, as he finsihed the well worked move by Robin Singh and Malouda. Few minutes later, Doungel had an opportunity to earn all three points for Delhi Dynamos but his cheeky attempt to chip over the goalkeeper went awry.
Delhi Dynamos have a habit of keeping it late and Gadze had two late opportunities but luck favoured the defending champions on both occassions as his shot on the 77th minute rebounded off the far post then managing to hit it wide. The second of the chance came for Gadze, who did manage to put the ball in the back of the net, but only for the linesman to rule the goal out for offside.
Image Courtesy: ISL Media