Delhi Dynamos fought back from a two-goal deficit twice to hold Mumbai City FC 3-3 and maintain its unbeaten record in the Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Tuesday.
Mumbai City FC was coasting to what seemed like a comfortable win after taking a 2-0 lead at half time through Krisztian Vadocz’s brace in the 33rd and 39th minute. The two goals in six minutes should have been enough for the visitor but Delhi Dynamos turned the screws in the second session.
Richard Gadze pulled a goal back in the 51st minute before Sony Norde made it 3-1 for Mumbai City with about 20 minutes left to play. Senegalese striker Badara Badji then gave Delhi a lifeline in the 76th minute and Marcelinho scored a penalty in the 81st minute to make it 3-3.
The draw left Delhi Dynamos in third place with six points from three matches while Mumbai City is placed second with eight points from five matches.
Delhi was forced to introduce new defensive players in its set-up and it seemed to do well at the start, until Vadocz struck just after the half an hour mark. It was a gem of a goal as Leo Costa saw Vadocz make a superb run and split the defence with an exquisite pass which Vadocz met and sliced it past the onrushing goalkeeper Soram Poirei.
Before the home side could recover from that setback, it was down by two goals. This time it was a free-kick from Sony Norde which struck the crossbar and to the home team’s misfortune, rebounded for Vadocz to head home.
In the second session, Delhi clawed its way back through Gadze. It was Florent Malouda who sent a ball through for Marcelinho. The Brazilian had a chance to try his luck but he saw Gadze in the clear, passed to him and saw the ball being glided into the goal.
Mumbai City restored its two-goal advantage in the 69th minute through another brilliant goal. Norde played a delightful one-two with Cafu, who lifted the ball over the defence, allowing Norde to slam the ball inside the goal for his team’s third of the night.
It seemed curtains for Delhi but with time ticking on, coach Gianluca Zambrotta made introduced Badji and the substitute Senegalese striker immediately repaid his manager’s faith, giving the finishing touch to a pass from Malouda and then it was all square in the 81st minute when Delhi won a penalty.
It was Gadze who was brought down by the Mumbai goalkeeper and Marcelinho stepped up to tie the match at 3-3 in a highly-entertaining clash.
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