The Gianluca Zambrotta’s side picked their first points of the ISL season as they downed Chennaiyin at Marina Arena…
Marcelinho’s brace (26’ and 34’) and a late strike from substitute Badara Badji (84’) was enough for Delhi Dynamos to open their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign with a victory over defending champions, Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. The home side did have a consolation goal by Dudu Omagbemi in the 32nd minute.
The visitors put in a strong performance as their pace and guile was too much for the Chennai defense to contend with.
Chennaiyin FC took the field against Delhi Dynamos in their first home match of the season to chants of ‘We are the champions’ from the fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, dubbed as the Marina Arena, in Chennai.
This was Delhi’s first game of the season, and also the first for new gaffer Gianluca Zambrotta. They lined up in a 4-3-3 with Chinglensana Singh, Ruben Gonzalez, Anas Edathodika and Souvik Chakrabarti guarding keeper and captan Toni Doblas.
The three man midfield featured Milan Singh and Emerson ‘Meme’ Gomes, with Marcos Tebar holding. Up front was Richard Gadze flanked by Kean Lewis and Marcelinho.
Chennaiyin made a single change from their previous game with Dudu Omagbemi now partnering Jeje Lalpekhlua in attack, coming in for Davide Succi.
Their midfield was unchanged with Baljit Sahni, Raphael Augusto, Hans Mulder and Jayesh Rane. The defense featured local lad Nallapan Mohanraj, John Arne Riise, Bernard Mendy and Mehrajuddin Wadoo in front of keeper Duwayne Kerr.
The game started out really brightly with Baljit Sahni testing Doblas as early as in the second minute, forcing a smart save from the Spaniard.
It only became more intense as either club was attacking in waves. Chennaiyin had two good chances in the next ten minutes with Mendy and Dudu unable to convert those.
Soon after, Chennaiyin’s net was rustled by Gadze, but the flag was up although replays suggested that the Ghanaian striker was onside. Kerr had his own Ter Stegen or Kattimani moment in the 17’ minute as he almost passed it to Lewis, who couldn’t capitalize on it.
Marcelinho gave Dynamos the lead in the 26’ minute when he coolly slotted the penalty awarded when Kerr brought down Milan after he got on the end of Souvik’s cross.
The home side scored the equalizer six minutes later. Dudu beat Doblas, who could only get a palm to it, after being played through by Jeje as Souvik played the Nigerian onside.
Delhi were back up within two minutes, and in what fashion! Marcelinho got his second as Gadze played him through the two centre-backs and his thunderous finish gave Kerr no chance.
Minutes before half-time, Marcelinho should have completed his hat-trick when he got past the clueless Mohanraj but could only hit it right at Kerr.Both teams soon went into the tunnel after a frantic half with neither defense having a game to be proud of, especially the Chennaiyin backline.
The second half started badly for Anas, who picked up a groin injury right away. He made way for the young Lalchawnkima who slotted in on the right with Chinglensana moving centrally.
Chennaiyin too made a tactical switch as the wide players Jayesh and Baljit moved more central in order to dominate the centre of the park, and the move looked to pay dividends as it was all Chennaiyin on the ball for the first 15 minutes of the second period, but with little penetration.
The first sniff of a chance in the half came on 61 minutes when Dudu got on the end of Mulder’s free-kick, but couldn’t do much about keeping the header down.
Chennaiyin made their first switch with Mohanraj, having a stinker for the second game running, making way for 18-year old Jerry Lalrinzuala. Delhi seemed to be intent on sitting on their lead as attackers Marcelinho and Lewis were busy helping out in defense.
With 68 minutes gone, Delhi had a chance to add to their lead when great play by Lewis found Souvik out wide, but his cutback narrowly missed Gadze. Chennaiyin took off Jayesh Rane for Siam Hanghal, and soon followed it up by taking off Raphael Augusto in exchange for another body in attack, Davide Succi.
Dynamos’ Gadze, who was the fox-in-the-box throughout the game made way for Badara Badji with 15 minutes to go. The very next minute, Lewis almost got on the inside of Wadoo’s defense after the Kashmiri full-back’s mistake, but the veteran managed to make amends by a neat tackle to dispossess him. Delhi brought on marquee Malouda for Memo with ten minutes to go.
With minutes to go, Chennaiyin almost jumped on a sharpened blade when Mendy nearly gave the ball after risky passing in the box, but Delhi failed to capitalize.
Not to worry for the visitors though, as they went 3-1 up in the 84th minute, shutting out Chennaiyin as substitute Badji leaped past Jerry to head in Lewis’ cross from the left. Fingers should be pointed at Riise who, once again, was found missing alongside Mendy, a recurring theme in the game.
Three minutes before the 90 minute mark, Jerry sent in a sumptuous cross-field pass, which Dudu took down but couldn’t take the shot due to a poor second touch, and tried in vain to square it to Succi, with Doblas collecting it.
Chennaiyin failed to get their first win of the season, as they have just a solitary point from two games played. But a lot of credit to Delhi whose pacy attack and prudent use of the ball won them the game comfortably.
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