ISL 2024-25: Mumbai City score dramatic winner to overcome late East Bengal charge

Kolkata, Jan 6 (IANS) Mumbai City FC beat East Bengal FC 3-2 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Monday. The Islanders were more lethal in the final third, taking eight shots on target as opposed to the five of the home team, and moved up to fifth from the seventh spot in the standings.

Mumbai City FC were offensively prolific in the first half, recording 12 touches inside East Bengal FC’s box in the opening 45 minutes. Nikolaos Karelis’ thumping header from near the six-yard box was blocked on the goal-line after a well-coordinated corner move by the Islanders in the 28th minute. Tiri received the ball on the far post and headed it to Karelis, who tried to nod the ball home, but his shot couldn’t trouble the net.

Eleven minutes later, the visitors pulled off another flawless sequence from the back, with their defensive unit initiating the attack. Brandon Fernandes picked the ball from Vikram Partap Singh at the centre from a distance. Immediately, Brandon carved open the East Bengal FC defence with a slick through-ball intended for Lallianzuala Chhangte.

The attacker took a fine touch before he deposited it into the bottom left corner with a fierce right-footed shot to break the deadlock.

They capitalised on this momentum, with Yoell van Nieff coming to the fore with a similar delivery that swung past the gaps in the East Bengal FC backline. This time around, the ball was directed to Karelis, who took an instant shot that was stopped by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. However, the striker latched on to the rebound, placing the ball into the bottom right corner in the 43rd minute to double their lead.

The home side regained their attacking intensity as soon as the second essay of the game began though. They didn’t let the Islanders settle and dictate the offensive endeavours as was the case in the first half. Naorem Mahesh Singh put pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence with an industrious effort in the 66th minute down the left flank.

The Petr Kratky-coached team fell short of clearing the ball out, which instead ended up landing at Dimitrios Diamantakos’ feet on the right post. The striker tried for a lateral pass from close range, but Mumbai City FC’s Sahil Panwar got in the way and struck the ball inside his own net, reducing the deficit for the Red & Gold Brigade.

East Bengal FC started stretching the Islanders’ defence thereafter, going out wide, exploring spaces at the centre, and winning the occasional set-piece to put the opposition behind. In the 83rd minute, a corner kick led to the equaliser for the Kolkata-based side. The Islanders wore a disorganised look for a brief while and it was enough for the Oscar Bruzon-coached unit to pounce upon.

By pushing sheer numbers ahead, they overwhelmed the Mumbai City FC backline in their own box. Hector Yuste showed his smarts by using his head to lay a ball on David Lalhlansanga’s path at the centre of the box, and the latter used his left foot to send the ball into the bottom left corner.

East Bengal FC’s joy was short-lived though, as Mumbai City FC snatched the winner four minutes later, with Karelis bagging his brace. The Islanders had RFYC graduate Nathan Rodrigues unlock the Red & Gold Brigade defence with a well-paced delivery down the centre of the box from the left flank.

Hijazi Maher couldn’t intercept and thwart the threat, resulting in Karelis picking the ball swiftly and caressing it into the bottom left corner to secure all three points for his team.

–IANS

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