ISL 2016: Chennaiyin FC 0-0 Kerala Blasters - 5 talking points
The Indian Super League South Indian derby between Chennaiyin FC and Kerala, which was a very much awaited game, ended in a 0-0 draw. Both the teams are known for their defensive stability and Saturday's game was proof for that.
The fans were expecting a 'cracker' of a match for Diwali but unfortunately that didn't happen. Both the teams lacked in the final third but still got a few chances, which they didn't capitalise on. In the end, the rivals will have to be satisfied with just one point each.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#1 A game of two halves
Even though no one was able to find the back of the net on the night, it was a game of two halves. In the first half of the match, we saw the home side, Chennaiyin FC, dominating over Kerala.
The long balls from Chennai players caused problems for Kerala's Cedric Hengbart and Aaron Hughes. Italian striker Davide Succi and Brazilian midfielder Raphael Augusto were real threats from the home side. Even Kerala Blasters’ manager Steve Coppell admitted his team was poor in the first half during the post-match press conference.
However, the tables turned in the second half. It was Kerala Blasters who had the chances in the second 45 minutes of the game. Striker Kervens Belfort came the closest for the away side after his shot from inside the penalty box went just wide. The Haitian and his teammates had several other chances in the game but weren’t able to score from any of it.
Even though both the teams were good defensively, they will be wishing that they had done better in their attacks.