Chennaiyin and Hyderabad share spoils in a frenzied 1-1 draw
Chennaiyin played out a 1-1 stalemate against Hyderabad in ‘Match 59’ of the 2021-22 Indian Super League season where Mohd Sajid Dhot opened the scoring for the two-time ISL champions before Javi Siverio’s strike drew the Nizams level.
Chennaiyin head coach Bozidar Bandovic fielded his team in a 3-5-2 formation in this match with Germanpreet Singh returning to the starting XI in place of the injured Vladimir Koman while Ninthoi Meetei replaced Reagan Singh at right wing-back.
Similarly, Hyderabad head coach Manolo Marquez also made two changes to his starting XI as Javi Siverio was introduced in place of the suspended Nigerian striker Bartholomew Ogbeche while Souvik Chakrabarti replaced Hitesh Sharma in the middle of the park.
The Marina Machans had a positive start with Meetei causing Marquez’s backline quite a few problems. Despite Chennaiyin dominating the proceedings, the first major opening of the game fell to Hyderabad in the 10th minute when a misplaced pass from a player in blue fell to Siverio’s path whose shot was kept out by Debjit Majumder.
The Chennaiyin custodian was called into action a minute later when Edu Garcia tried his luck from the edge of the box, but Majumder was up to the task once again.
Having received their wake-up call, Bandovic’s team responded brilliantly and broke the deadlock in the 13th minute. An accurately lofted free-kick from Thapa found central defender Dhot in space at the back post, whose header had enough power to beat Hyderabad custodian Laxmikant Kattimani.
Marquez’s men got their act together after conceding the goal, whilst a resolute Chennaiyin defense was not taking any prisoners. Siverio pulled the trigger in the 41st minute but Majumder kept his effort out for the second time on the night while the 2016 ISL-winning goalkeeper made another good save only three minutes later to keep his former teammate Chakrabarti’s header away.
However, that was not Hyderabad’s last big chance of the half. In the 48th minute, Asish Rai found Siverio in the box with a perfectly weighted cross from the right flank and the Spaniard’s header rippled the net to give Hyderabad their well-deserved equalizer.
The Nizams established their dominance in the initial phases of the second half, albeit without creating clear-cut openings. Both coaches played their cards at the hour mark, with Marquez bringing on Sahil Tavora and Mohammed Yasir while Bandovic responded by introducing Lukasz Gikiewicz and Rahim Ali.
Aniket Jadhav was a live wire down the left flank
Bandovic’s changes almost paid dividends when his two substitutes combined beautifully in the 71st minute. Ali’s precise delivery from the right found Gikiewicz unmarked but the Polish striker failed to keep his header on target.
The Marina Machans almost took the lead in the 74th minute when Meetei made a darting run down the right flank and pulled the trigger but his shot stayed out after rattling the crossbar while Gikiewicz failed to head home the rebound.
They had another opportunity of sealing all three points in the dying minutes when Ali outfoxed Chinglensana Singh with his nifty footwork and then drew a foul right at the edge of the box. However, Thapa’s freekick was palmed away to safety by Kattimani ensuring that his team walks away from this game with a point to show for their outing.
Hyderabad has climbed to third place in the league standings with this win, leapfrogging defending champions Mumbai City by virtue of a healthier goal difference. They will now take on Jamshedpur on Monday while sixth-placed Chennaiyin will enjoy a much-needed break before meeting NorthEast United on 22nd January.