Chennaiyin and Hyderabad were locked in a stalemate at the Fatorda on Thursday night. The Marina Machans took the lead early but were pegged back by the Nizams before half-time.
Hyderabad were the dominant side, attempting more than twice as many shots on the opposition goal while also holding much of the territory. But, poor finishing in front of goal deprived them of anything more than a point.
Hyderabad started well with Javier Siverio and Edu Garcia testing Debjit Majumdar from range – the HFC pair would combine to cause the opposition defence trouble throughout the first half. However, it was Chennaiyin who took the lead in the 13th minute. Captain Anirudh Thapa delivered a teasing cross from a set-piece at the back post, where it was headed in by centre-back Mohammad Sajid Dhot.
Undeterred by the concession, Hyderabad poured forward in search of the equalizer, and Siverio came close in the 23rd minute when he headed wide from a couple of yards out. As the clock showed 45, Garcia drew a save out of Majumdar again, before setting up Siverio with a cushioned header, only for the forward to blaze his shot over the bar.
The Spaniard finally made good on his chances in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, as he headed the ball in off a cross from Asish Rai for the equalizing goal.
Shortly after the restart, Aniket Jadhav’s low shot was turned around the post by Majumdar, as Hyderabad picked up where they left off. However, despite being on the receiving end for much of the second period, it was Chennaiyin who came closest to scoring again through wingback Ninthoinganba Meetei as he rattled the bar from close range before Lukasz Gikiewicz had his follow-up header saved by Laxmikant Kattimani.
The two sides had to settle for a point each, a point which allowed Hyderabad to stay in third but deprived Chennaiyin of a spot in the top four.
