Support for Sporting Club Delhi and Punjab FC, though sparse in numbers, seemed evenly split during Saturday’s Indian Super League (ISL) match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, a venue that serves as home ground for both teams. The equation on the field of play was similar, with little separating the two outfits at the end of a goalless draw.
Neither side showed the finesse needed in the final third to secure a victory. SC Delhi should have been a little more disappointed with the result as they had the better chances.
Punjab came closest to scoring in the 15th minute. When Manglenthang Kipgen curled a left-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box and made a sharp save from Delhi’s Nora Fernandes in goal, the rebound fell kindly to Nsungusi Effiong. However, defender Manoj Mohammad put enough pressure on the Nigerian attacker to thwart his attempt.
Delhi should have taken the lead heading into the break. In stoppage time, Lamgoulen Semkholun’s cross into the penalty area was helped by Devendra Murgaokar towards an unmarked Matija Babovic. The 27-year-old from Serbia had enough time and space to add to his tally of four goals in the ISL, but the forward lost his cool and blasted his shot over the crossbar.
When play resumed after the break, Delhi seemed to grow in confidence. But that didn’t reflect on the scoresheet, with Sourav and Joseph Sunny squandering brilliant opportunities to make the difference.
Published on May 2, 2026
