Delhi Dynamos went to the top of the points table after defeating Kerala Blasters 2-0 on Friday. The first half of the game was a neutral one, but Delhi dominated over Kerala in the second half. Goals from attackers Kean Lewis and Marcelinho won the game for the side managed by Gianluca Zambrotta.
Here are the talking points from the game:
#1 Nandy's mistake turns the game in Delhi's way
The game was very neutral in the first half. Delhi, the home side on the night, had a couple of chances, but both teams were equally good. The second half was also going in the same way until Kerala goalkeeper Sandip Nandy gifted Delhi their first goal.
The Indian goalkeeper took a heavy touch after receiving the ball and an opposition player Richard Gadze put him under pressure. Gadze got the ball in his feet and passed it to Lewis, who calmly found the back of the net after getting past a defender.
The Dynamos completely dominated over the away side after this goal. They even scored their second just five minutes after. Zambrotta's side had more chances to score and could have thrashed Kerala. It was just one mistake from Nandy that turned the game in Delhi's way.
#2 Kerala’s defence struggles without Hughes
This was the first time that Kerala conceded more than a goal in this edition of the ISL and the absence of marquee player Aaron Hughes played a huge role in it. The team managed by Steve Coppell struggled very much without their captain.
The Northern Ireland man has gone on international duty and Ouzin Ndoye, who replaced him, was not able to fill in the void. Only French defender Cedric Hengbart played up to the standards on the night and was one of Kerala's best players. Rest of the team's defence was shaky throughout the game.
Kerala’s defence is one of the best defences in the league this year, but Friday's performance was nowhere near their best. This only shows how important Hughes is to Coppell's team. The 36-year-old defender won't be available for the Blasters' next game too and Coppell will need to figure out a way to cope with him.
#3 Malouda shows glimpses of his best playing days
Florent Malouda is Delhi's marquee player and he has not failed to live up to the expectations. The Frenchman has been good for the Lions, but he showed glimpses of his real abilities against Kerala on Friday.
Malouda is 36 years old now and he is not able to play like he used to, but he definitely showed what he is all about against Coppell's Kerala side. The former Chelsea man was on top of his game on the night. His strength and technique in the midfield was too much for the Kerala players to handle. The legendary player also got an assist on the night after his beautiful cross into the box was headed into the net by Marcelinho.
It won't take much for Malouda to score his first ISL goal if he continues playing like this. Delhi manager Zambrotta is very familiar with Malouda and this will be exactly what he expected from the player. The Italian will be hoping that the attacker keeps his form up.
#4 Goalscoring woes continue for Blasters
On a night where their best area was shaky, Kerala's weakest area was even poorer. The Blasters' attackers posed no threat to the Delhi defence and only had one shot on target in the game.
Delhi goalkeeper Toni Doblas had nothing much to do and had a very easy game. Lions defender Anas Edathodika, who is from Kerala, easily managed to handle his native team's attacks whenever they looked like causing some trouble. The men in yellow had players like Kervens Belfort, Mohammed Rafi, Antonio German, and Duckens Nazon in their team and all they could manage to do was just one shot on goal.
Coppell needs to have a serious look at his attack and sort it out if he wants his team to get into the play-offs. You are not going to win if you don't score, no matter how strong your defence is.
#5 Delhi's attack is by far the best in the league
Kerala might be struggling to score goals, but Delhi are definitely not. The Lions have scored a total of 12 goals so far and have a goal difference of five. Zambrotta's side is the only team to score more than two goals at least twice this season.
Brazilian winger Marcelinho is now the top-scorer of the league (5) along with NorthEast United's Emiliano Alfaro after he scored a header on Friday. Delhi's Lewis, Richard Gadze and Badara Badji have scored two goals each. These are very good stats when compared to other teams.
Zambrotta's team has Malouda and Milan Singh in the midfield aiding the team's attack very well. Delhi also have former Chennaiyin FC player Bruno Pelissari on the bench. All these show the attacking depth the Dynamos have and proves that they have the best attack in the league.
