DEFENDING CHAMPIONS CHENNAI CITY FC played out a draw with Aizawl FC at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Aizawl today.
In what was the first ever I-League match being played under floodlights in Mizoram, Aizawl FC proved their mettle once again as a hard to beat team at home.
Just 10 minutes into the match, the Poeple's Club got the lead, with William Lalnunfela finding the net sending the 2016-17 champions ahead.
Just a minute later Chennai City FC almost equalized when Katsumi Yusa's free kick was almost put in the back of the net by Pravitto but he missed.
The reigning Champions of India then tried to take the reigns of the match in their own hands, launching attack after attack but the Aizawl FC defence held on.
Towards the end of the first half, though, CCFC finally got their chance to get even through a penalty. Captain Roberto Eslava made no mistake from the spot, making it an even 1-1 going into half-time.
The second half saw Aizawl FC recover from the continuous barrage of CCFC attacks and press back on their own. Chennai City remained a threat on the counter with Katsumi Yusa leading a couple of efforts but they failed to find the winning goal; nor did Aizawl FC find a break-through despite their younger squad outrunning the visitors and creating constant pressure especially towards the end.
The draw has taken Chennai City FC to 4 points from 3 matches, remaining on the 7th spot in the league table. Aizawl FC, meanwhile, progressed to 5 points from 4 games, staying 6th.
Aizawl FC will welcome Punjab FC in their next home game while Chennai City will return to Coimbatore and take on NEROCA. Both clubs have had early troubles finding their form, and will look to find their best footing in the upcoming rounds.