PVD and Abahani played out a 0-0 draw in the first match of the Premier League's regular season on Thursday. The result leaves both sides with a single point after the opening round of fixtures.
The match was decided by moments rather than sustained pressure. Abahani controlled possession at 51 per cent, but neither side could convert their chances. Both teams registered one shot on target and two off target, with equal numbers of corners at six apiece.
By then, the game had settled into a pattern neither side could break. PVD keeper made a crucial save in the first half, while Abahani's striker missed a header from close range. And here's the thing — it was those two moments that defined the afternoon, not the possession figures.
Discipline became an issue as the match progressed. PVD collected three yellow cards, starting with A. Bablu in the thirty-first minute. Abahani's yellow cards came through M. I. Islam, S. Das, H. Murad and I. Riduan, with the last booking arriving in stoppage time.
Both managers made changes in the second half. PVD brought on Al-Amin, A. Molla, A. Fahim and J. Uddin together in the fifty-eighth minute. Abahani introduced S. Hossain in the sixty-ninth, followed by A. Sajib and a double change in the ninety-first minute.
Before kick-off, PVD sat eighth in the table with seventeen points from eighteen games — four wins, five draws and nine defeats. Abahani occupied second place on thirty-seven points, having won eleven and drawn four times.
The result extends a run of mixed form for both sides. PVD had drawn 2-2 with Fortis in their previous outing before losing 0-2 to Abahani in May. Abahani's last match saw them beat Arambag 4-0 after a 0-2 defeat to Bashundhara Kings.
