ISL 2018-19, Delhi Dynamos FC 2-0 Kerala Blasters FC: 5 Talking PointsÂ
Delhi Dynamos marked their return to action after the mid-season break in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) with a comfortable 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Thursday.
Josep Gombau's men were hardly made to sweat over the course of the game, as the visitors turned on an insipid display to continue their miserable run of form so far this season.
The Men in Yellow were second-best for the entirety of the game and were handed their sixth defeat of the season courtesy of goals from Gianni Zuiverloon and Rene Mihelic, who opened his goal tally for the Dynamos with a composed penalty during the dying embers of the game.
Zuiverloon netted only his second goal for the club, after Kerala Blasters got their zonal marking terribly wrong from a corner kick delivered by Mihelic, when he got his foot to a floated ball into empty space inside the penalty area in the 28th minute.
The hosts completed the rout in second-half stoppage time when Lallianzuala Chhangte was brought down by Lalruatthara, who was subsequently given the marching orders for his last-ditch challenge inside the penalty box. That allowed Mihelic to put the result beyond any doubt.
Nelo Vingada will be concerned with the performance from his players after he named an unchanged starting eleven that showed signs of resurgence during their draw against ATK last week.
The Kochi-based franchise has made a habit of blowing hot and cold throughout the season and their debacle in the capital city is the latest installment in a serious of lamentable performances as a unit.
On the other hand, Delhi are starting to show some signs of revival since that elusive win over Chennaiyin FC before the mid-season break, and have now climbed to eighth, above Kerala Blasters on goal difference, in the league table.
Without further delay, let's take a closer look at the major talking points from the largely one-sided affair under the lights in Delhi.
#1 Dynamos fulfill free-flowing prophecy to put Blasters to the sword
Josep Gombau refers to the same school of thought that has developed some of the finest football in the history of the game in recent years.
However, the 42-year-old, who spent six years as a coach at La Masia in Barcelona, had struggled to successfully inculcate a similar approach that would yield results at Delhi Dynamos, since his appointment at the beginning of the ongoing season.
The Dynamos were easy on the eye on most occasions this term, but have failed to back it up with their output inside the opposition's final third. Despite relying on and executing a free-flowing style, they had failed to attain the desired results on a number of instances so far this season.
For all their miserable luck until now, the performance against Kerala Blasters gave an insight into what Gombau could be potentially cooking in the background at the club.
The Dynamos opted to stick with him through desperate times and it seems like a masterstroke after they secured back-to-back wins over Chennaiyin FC and the visitors tonight.
The hosts dominated proceedings right from the referee's first whistle and fulfilled their prophecy under the tutelage of Gombau to completely steam-roll over an insipid Kerala Blasters side.
Although the Dynamos ended up spurning plenty of chances, they managed to put them away at the right junctures to secure maximum points.
And that is exactly what they have been lacking till now and they have now presented themselves with perfect spring-board to work towards a better-than-expected finish to the season.