ISL 2026-27: Luna misses spot-kick as Chennaiyin, Kerala Blasters share spoils
Adrian Luna’s penalty hit the woodwork as the Southern Derby ended goalless at the Marina Arena in Chennai.
Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC played out a 0-0 draw in ISL 2026-27 at the Marina Arena in Chennai. Adrian Luna missed a penalty and Irfan Yadwad hit the crossbar as neither side could find a winner.
Key takeaways
- Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC drew 0-0 at the Marina Arena in Chennai
- Adrian Luna missed a penalty, striking the woodwork
- Irfan Yadwad hit the top-right corner of the crossbar
- Amrinder Singh made a late one-on-one save
Chennaiyin FC and Kerala Blasters FC played out a goalless draw in an Indian Super League 2026-27 fixture at the Marina Arena in Chennai on Saturday. The match was Chennaiyin’s first home appearance of the season.
Adrian Luna missed a penalty when his spot-kick struck the woodwork, while Irfan Yadwad rattled the top-right corner of the crossbar. Kerala Blasters goalkeeper Amrinder Singh made several crucial saves, including a late one-on-one stop, to keep the scores level.
Chennaiyin created the first clear opportunity in the 31st minute when Madih Talal cut inside and unleashed a curling right-footed effort, but Amrinder pushed it away.
Four minutes later, Ramon Tanque picked out Yadwad inside the box, but the forward’s powerful effort was again kept out by the Kerala goalkeeper.
The visitors relied on crosses and quick transitions to threaten, but Chennaiyin’s defence held firm as the teams went into the break without a goal.
Kerala Blasters made a change at half-time, bringing on Sumit Singh for Hormipam Ruivah. They won a penalty soon after when Mohammad Sanan was brought down by Yadwad inside the box.
The Chennaiyin winger’s arm also came into contact with the ball during the incident, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Luna stepped up and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, but his effort struck the woodwork and bounced away.
Kerala continued to press, with Andre Green forcing Mohammad Nawaz into a save in the 54th minute after a quick counter-attack. Chennaiyin made two substitutions around the hour mark, introducing Lalhriatpuia Chawnghtu and S Prakadeswaran in place of Ayush Chhetri and Brison Fernandes.
Yadwad came close to breaking the deadlock in the 69th minute when he attempted to curl a right-footed effort past Amrinder, only for the ball to strike the top-right corner of the crossbar.
Kerala made further changes in the 77th minute, with Vibin Mohanan and MS Sreekuttan replacing Korou Singh and Sanan. Luna was substituted by Momo Yansane five minutes later, while Chennaiyin brought on Bryce Miranda and Dippendu Biswas for Tanque and Bhutia in the 87th minute.
The result extended Chennaiyin’s winless streak to four matches after two draws and losses. Kerala Blasters dropped points for the second game in a row. It is the tenth time the two teams have drawn each other across 26 matches. The draw came in a Southern Derby at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where more than 9000 spectators were present.
Chennaiyin will aim to secure its first win of the campaign after a 1-0 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Kerala Blasters, which has four points from three matches, will try to avoid dropping points for a third consecutive game.
Key match figures
Team | Points from three matches | Result in this fixture |
|---|---|---|
Chennaiyin FC | one | 0-0 draw |
Kerala Blasters FC | four | 0-0 draw |
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