Chennaiyin FC held Mohun Bagan Super Giant to a goalless draw in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday night. The Mariners continue to be at the top of the table with 37 points from 17 games and the Marina Machans are positioned 10th with 18 points from as many games as the visitors.

It was a cagey affair from start to finish as both teams were unable to create enough openings to break open the opposition’s defence. The game started with a good rhythm, especially for Chennaiyin FC as the likes of Wilmar Jordan Gil, Connor Shields, and Irfan Yadwad made some good inrows, raising a few alarms for the Mohun Bagan SG backline early on in the game. On the other hand, the visitors weren’t so fluent in the initial exchanges.

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Mohun Bagan Super Giant gradually grew into the game as Greg Stewart got more involved in the middle of the park with Asish Rai operating down the right flank. However, the game’s first chance fell to Jordan as Kiyan Nassiri stole possession in the danger area before playing the Colombian in space.

However, Tom Aldred was alert to the danger and threw his body on the line to block Jordan’s attempt. The Colombian had the golden opportunity to take the lead in the 35th minute when he latched onto Shields’ cross in the box before hammering the ball into the post. The Mariners kept pushing forward in the final sequences of the first half and eventually got a great opening when Suhail Bhat controlled a long ball before outwitting Elsinho with his brilliant touch. He drove into the penalty area with purpose but his subsequent effort struck the side netting.

Mohun Bagan SG started the second half brightly with Dimitrios Petratos hitting the side netting from a dangerous freekick. The Australian had a couple of more chances in quick succession but he lacked the composure to convert them into meaningful openings. In the 60th minute, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy limped off the field and Landinliana Renthlei replaced him. The best chance of the second half fell to Suhail Bhat when Rai found him with a beautiful low cross. But before the young forward could take a shot, Elsinho did exceptionally well to clear the lines.

Jose Molina brought on Liston Colaco and Manvir Singh replacing Deepak Tangri and Suhail as the Mariners pushed for the decisive goal. In the 77th minute, Jamie Maclaren walked into the field, and Petratos made way for his compatriot.

Both Liston and Manvir made some marauding runs down either flank but their final ball lacked the quality to trouble the Chennaiyin FC backline. The final quarter of the game was a close affair as both backlines held their forts with aplomb. However, the hosts almost broke the deadlock in the 89th minute when Shields found Ryan Edwards in the penalty area with a telling ball. The English defender rose the highest to head the ball but his effort was way off target. Chennaiyin FC threw bodies forward in the final few minutes but in the end, it was not enough to break open the Mohun Bagan Super Giant defence as the teams settled for a crucial draw.

Chennaiyin FC will next face FC Goa on January 25 whereas Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play Bengaluru FC in Kolkata on January 27.