ISL 3: Mumbai finish on top after draw against Delhi

by Chittu Shetty December 3, 2016

A goal less draw against the Lions meant Mumbai finish on top of the table notching up their eight clean sheet of the season

The final game between the two best teams of ISL this season for the top spot ended with both Mumbai and Delhi sharing the spoils at the Mumbai Football Arena.

Coming after a 10 day gap, Mumbai decided to keep most of the squad same with a winning momentum, just one change was made in the squad as Chhetri was replaced by his Bengaluru FC counterpart young Udanta Singh, who made his first start of the club.

At the other end, Zambrotta decided to rest his major players with as many as eight changes including league’s top scorer Marcelinho and Gadze apart from Malouda at the bench.

The game started off in a slow pace with both sides failing to test the opponent keepers. The first big chance came in the 21^st minute when Cafu found Forlan on the left who took a touch to control the ball before unleashing a vicious goal bound shot that was parried away by an alert Doblas.

Few minutes later Cafu came close to scoring a stunner when he cut inside from the right before his left footed shot went inches over the post.

After Sehnaj got booked in the 38^th minute for pulling down the Delhi winger down the left, Bruno Pelissari tried his luck from the resulting free kick with a curling shot to the near post that went over the bar.

Moments before the half time whistle Mumbai had chance when on the right Sehnaj tested Doblas going for goal instead of crossing it for Forlan and Defederico inside the box, who were understandably disappointed.

Also Read: ISL 3: ATK, FCPC play out a tame draw

In the second half, the game took even more drab turn as neither side made any credible inroads to the opponent half.

Numbers of Mumbai attempts were very well defended by the Delhi Defence while on the other side Mumbai defence stood like a rock wall too. The game was in need of a moment of magic to break the deadlock. And it seemed the game had not one but two in the space of 30 odd seconds in the 72^nd minute only to be denied by the woodwork on both occasion.

First it came for Mumbai when Cafu’s powerful shot from distance left Doblas stranded, the ball came off the top of the bar and Delhi went on a counter with it. At the other end, Bruno Pelissari with aces of space tried a shot from distance that took a deflection off Goian and came off the far post with Amrinder scrambling.

Six minutes later, substitute Sony Norde had a good chance when he was played on by Forlan but the former Mohun Bagan striker’s effort on pressure from Delhi defence went straight to Doblas.

In the 83rd minute, Mumbai had a big chance, Forlan’s long free-kick from the right saw Goian head it across goal from the far post, Udanta at the other end headed it back inside the box for Gerson. However, the Brazilian’s made a little late jump as it allowed Doblas to collect the ball before he could get a chance to make amends.

The two teams walked into the tunnel at the final whistle with no goal scored. Mumbai have finished with 23 points and sit on the top, while Delhi have amassed 21 and are placed second.

Mumbai City FC 0 – 0 Delhi Dynamos FC