ISL 2017, Match 5: FC Pune City vs Delhi Dynamos FC, 5 talking points
Delhi Dynamos put Pune to the sword on Wednesday's ISL encounter. Three quickfire goals in the second half ensured the Dynamos left Pune with all three points. The home side did reply with two, though by then, the damage had already been done. Here are the major talking points from tonight's match.
#1 Cagey opening between two well-drilled sides
Tonight's match was eerily similar to the opening two games of the Indian Super League. Pune and Delhi came into this match not wanting to lose, and it was evident in their gameplay.
For the opening 25 minutes, both sides refused to commit numbers in attack. When players had the opportunity to run into space, they chose to play parallel passes or play it back. Pune and Delhi were reluctant to adopt a high press. Instead, they chose to flood the midfield, which made it very hard for either of them to create clear-cut openings in the first half.