Delhi coach Harm van Veldhoven has looked to conserve Del Piero (left) for the latter part of the tournament. (Source: Express photo by Narendra Waskar)

Alessandro del Piero stepped on to the DY Patil Stadium turf doing what he does the best — juggling, dribbling, deceiving opponents and, at times, playing some sublime dummies. But instead of his feet, the Italian indulged in showing off his basketball skills; his swift hand movements matching his nimble-footedness with the ball.

Del Piero looked at peace, the smile never leaving his face. But one wonders if there is a simmering discontent growing within him. The World Cup-winner, to put it mildly, has been enduring a somewhat frustrating Indian summer so far.

Admittedly, he isn’t spending as much time on the field as he wants to. And when he has, the 39-year-old has looked a pale shadow of his past great self. As the face of the ISL and the highest-paid player, expectations have been high from him. But he has failed to live up to the billing.

Earlier this week, former Australian footballer Robbie Slater said Del Piero’s previous club, Sydney FC, were better off without him. The former Southampton and West Ham United midfielder added Sydney are more aggressive and play at a higher tempo in absence of an ‘ageing Del Piero.’

Incidentally, these are the same two areas Delhi have been struggling with. They have been waiting for a flash of ADP brilliance to score a goal, hanging in there until that happens. But save for a few sublime touches, Del Piero has not managed anything of note. He has been unable to score or assist in any of the games and hasn’t even played the entire 90 minutes in any of the five matches.

The Italian legend has demanded more playing time to show he can do better. Delhi coach Harm van Veldhoven has so far resisted the urge, or pressure if any, to make ISL’s marquee man play more often. You get a sense that Van Veldhoven is trying to conserve Del Piero for the later stages of the tournament, where he can utilise his experience rather than relying on his waning exuberance. “It’s of course difficult. Everyone wants to play and preparing to play. But it’s impossible to play all games. You have to make schedule and look at what’s best for the team. As a coach, it’s my job to take care of the players,” Veldhoven said.

On Wednesday, Delhi and Del Piero will up against Mumbai City, who’ve looked menacing up front after the return of Nicolas Anelka, easily the biggest attraction in the ISL along with his Italian counterpart. But unlike Del Piero, the Frenchman, four years younger, looked sharp and dangerous every time he had the ball in Mumbai’s 1-0 win over Kerala Blasters on Sunday.

It was only his second match of the tournament but Anelka has already out-performed Del Piero, at least statistically, scoring once and having more shots on goal (six in two games, compared to Del Piero’s four shots in five games). He has instilled balance in the Mumbai side, linking up with his midfield and leading the forward line at the same time.

The clash between the teams placed fifth and sixth on the table and separated only on goal difference by itself is a mouth-watering prospect. However, with ISL’s two biggest stars going head-to-head against each other, the match may well be reduced to a sub-plot.