Kolkata, Chennai share honours

36 minutes into the game, Salt Lake did what it does best. As the game swayed like a pendulum with end-to-end football, the lights above Gate 1 went off casting a heavy gloom on the field. For the next nine minutes as the players refreshed the stadium's date with shame sat like the relentless monkey on the city's back.

Earlier, the match began on a brisk note. Elano began the offense with a rasping right-footer that saw Josemi take a tumble after putting the ball out of harm's way. The Brazilian ended the half with a header off Dane Pereira's cross that Subhasish Roy Chowdhury barely kept out.  

In between Kolkata had a great run. Five minutes into the match Garcia put in a terrific through ball for Fikru. The explosive striker was a tad early on his run and was flagged off side. Next Jofre showed his prowess in the midfield as he gets past a posse of Chennai defenders with some deft footwork and a nimble u-turn before laying off Fikru in the rival penalty box. The Ethiopean missed his mark, but the Ecuadorian was brilliant.

Kolkata pressed on as Garcia put in a ball for Fikru who back flicked it towards Nato. He next ran in open space to see Nato set him up. His first touch let him down as Atletico let go off the best chance of the match.

Atletico kept up the tempo in the second half and Luis Garcia's free-kick from just outside the penalty box recede off the cross-bar. Minutes later his header off a Baljit Saini centre was fended off by Gennaro Bracigliano.

Perhaps the best chance of the match came Fikru's way when a Djemba Djemba clearance fell at his legs. With the goalie out of position all he had to do was lob. And all he did was miss-kick.

For Chennai, Balwant did put the ball in the net but he was yellow carded for handball.