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NorthEast United and Kerala Blasters were locked without a goal in an Indian Super League (ISL) 2019-20 clash at the Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium in Guwahati, Assam, on Friday.
The two teams stay put at their positions on the standings table with the Highlanders ninth with 12 points and the southern side, who had their head coach Eelco Schattorie in the stands for the tie, was in the stands for the tie eighth with 15 points.
Robert Jarni brought in Rakesh Pradhan in place of suspended Reagan Singh at right back besides calling Kai Heerings and Milan Singh in place of Wayne Vaz and Jose Leudo in the hosts’ first 11.
On the other hand, Rehenesh TP was dropped from matchday squad for Kerala other than Messi Bouli. Bilal Khan took his place in between the sticks. Moutapha Gning and Vlatko Drobarob returned from suspension along with Lalruatthara and Sahal Samad.
It was a listless first half with just one shot on target that came in the 45th minute when Subhasish Roy Chowdhury was in the right place to cling on to Gning’s header off a Sergio Cidoncha free-kick.
Bartholomew Ogbeche and Andrew Keogh have been marshalled well at both ends, although the latter did get close on an occasion. The Irishman got at the end of Federico Gallego’s delivery from a free-kick to volley wide a first time effort in the 41st minute.
The second half brought about double of the chances in the opening 10 minutes with Nikhil Kadam, who replaced Simon Lundevall, forced Bilal into making his first save while Subhasish had to thwart a shot by Gning after Zuiverloon headed down Cidoncha’s delivery from a free-kick.
The NorthEast custodian dived to his right to keep out a shot by Halicharan Narzary around the hour mark and held his ground to see Ogbeche shoot wide at his near post after a a perfect ball in by Gianni Zuiverloon in the 73rd minute, while Bilal was not the most convincing but kept out Keogh soon after none-the-less.
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