ISL 2017/18, Match 84: Delhi Dynamos vs Mumbai City FC, Player ratings
Delhi hosted Mumbai in what was a crucial tie for the Islanders, as they are still in contention for the two remaining playoff spots. A win for Mumbai would mean that the team from the maximum city keep matters in their own hands, a draw would still keep them alive mathematically but the chances would be heavily stacked against them.
A loss would have all but end their ISL campaign for this season. Delhi, on the other hand, had nothing but pride to play for as even a spot for the direct entry into the Super Cup not being up for grabs.
The game started in an attacking manner as Delhi mounted all the pressure in the initial stages and managed to take the lead in the 5th minute from a brilliantly crafted move which saw Nandhakumar put it into the net. The halftime ended with the scoreboard reading 1-0 in favor of the hosts.
Mumbai came back all guns blazing in the second half and equalized in the 49th minute by an Everton Santos tap in. The second half turned into a full-fledged entertainer after the Mumbai equalizer, as one player from each of the teams was sent off. Delhi then went on to score four more, to derail and destroy Mumbai’s hope of making the playoffs. The final score was 5-1 in favor of Delhi.
On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings.
Delhi Dynamos
Xabi Irureta (7/10): Xabi didn’t have enough to do in the first half, but made a small mistake of fisting the ball into Everton Santos’s path. He did make up for the mistake by making a world-class save from a Balwant Singh shot. He made up for the initial mistake by making a couple of world-class saves.
Pritam Kotal (6/10): Pritam had problems keeping the likes of Sahil and Balwant at bay. It was Balwant who troubled him the most. Pritam didn’t venture forward much and failed to provide the support required for his wingers.
Sajid Dhot (6/10): Sajid had a good attempt at goal from a header, but missed the mark by a couple of inches. He tried his best to keep the defense compact and tight. He made some crucial tackles and clearances.
Pratik Chowdhury (5/10): Made a crucial goal-line save off a Sahil Travora shot to keep Delhi in the lead. Was rash in lunging into the tackle and got booked for the same. Pratik was rightly sent off and probably was lucky to be on the pitch for such a long time.
Edu Moya (6/10): Lucky to not concede a penalty, as his off the ball push was missed by everyone. Edu did make some crucial blocks and interceptions in the first half.
Joren Lumu (7/10): Lumu was probably the best defender for Delhi as Mumbai seldom got past him, his tackling was spot on today. His forward runs were brilliant and his crosses created problems aplenty for the Mumbai defense.
Matias Mirabaje (9/10): Scored an absolute stunner, and was a big presence in the midfield. He absolutely burst through defenders a couple of times. His interceptions were also very good today, and he looked to control the game often. He also instigated a lot of the counter attacks for Delhi which resulted in the third and fourth goals. His 90th-minute pass to Changte for the 5th goal was an absolute gem of a pass.
Seityasen Singh (8/10): It was his brilliantly timed run that helped Delhi craft open the Mumbai defense in the initial stages to score an early goal. His brilliant cross to assist Nandhakumar was also played to perfection. He did track back help out his defenders also.
Manuel Arana (9/10): Manuel Arana was lively in the middle of the park. He showed his class with a couple fine dribbles and managed to show some skills also. He also provided some delicious crosses into the box and managed to create a few openings. Arana won a penalty and converted it without any problems. Arana provided a brilliant assist for Kalu for the 4th goal.
Nandhakumar Sekar (8/10): Nandhakumar scored a good goal in opening minutes of the game, even though the finish was a simple tap in it was his move to lose his marker and pop up at the near post to finish off a good move which he himself instigated. He looked lively in the later stages of the first half.
David Ngaihte (6/10): David Ngaihte was lively up front, as he changed positions frequently and trouble the Delhi backline with his guile. He did look selfish at times and could have done much better on a couple of occasions.