New Delhi: The third match of the inaugural Indian Super League played between Delhi Dynamos and FC Pune City here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday ended in a goalless draw, with the hosts left to rue a number of missed opportunities to score and in the end splitting points with the visitors, thanks to Pune's Italian goalkeeper Emanuele Belardi who was in top form to deny the home side on several occasions.
Star striker and Delhi's marquee signing Alessandro Del Piero was named on the bench, with Danish duo Mads Junker and Martin Skuobo leading the attack and Hans Mulder slotted in the midfield.
The first half saw a lot of action as the Dynamos completely outplayed the away side but somehow could not manage to convert their chances. Their best chance, however, came in the final minute of regulation period when Dos Santos caught Belardi off guard with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box, but it hit the post.
In the first half, Delhi got their first chance of the game in the 13th minute but nobody was there to slot the ball in. Skoubo played a lovely ball to Mama into the box, but this time Pune midfielder Ashutosh was alert to the danger and blocked it at the right time. Junker was played on from the left wing and immediately made his presence felt but the Danish striker's effort went straight to Belardi.
Pune were denied a goal when David Trezeguet went on an aerial duel with Anwar Ali and the ball ended in the net, but the referee had already blown the whistle for an infringement. After surviving that scare, Delhi continued to attack and Junker was once again failed to beat Belardi. He took a shot from the left edge of the box, but Belardi stretched to his left to parry the ball away for a corner.
Belardi once again came to Pune's rescue when he kept out an impressive long-range effort that came in from at least 25 yards away.
With lots of empty seats and Delhi crowd not as enthusiastic as Kolkata and Guwahati, it surely needed something to shout for, and the home team's coach provided that in the 38th minute when the former Italian and Juventus legend Del Piero came from the bench to replace Morten Skoubo.
Despite dominating the game for whole half and a number of chances, both the teams went into half-time level at 0-0.
The second half started with Pune creating the first opportunity but Israil Gurung's cross was cleared away by Anwar Ali. But unlike the first half, play in the second was slow and restricted to the middle of the park.
Content playing in the deep before the break, Pune made a couple of quick changes bringing in Dudu Omagbemi for Gurung and replacing Greek World Cupper Kostas Katsouranis with Indian midfielder Mehrajudding Wadoo. But it hardly made an impact to break the deadlock.
Delhi would be disappointed that they failed to make their chances count while a point away from home wouldn't be a bad result for Franco Colomba's team.
"It was a tough game. Delhi is a good side and conditions were pretty tough - so I am pleased with the draw. It's a long tournament. We will improve as the tournament goes by," the Pune coach said after the match.
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