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Mumbai City stun champs Bagan 1-0, go top
Noufal’s goal after a superb combination play help visitors stay unbeaten after six rounds and on 14 points
Kolkata: With a mature performance and a memorable goal, Mumbai City FC beat defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant 1-0 and moved to the top of the ISL12 standings here on Friday. With 14 points from six games, Mumbai City FC are unbeaten in the single-leg league, achieving this by stopping the Mohun Bagan juggernaut at Salt Lake stadium.
This was Mohun Bagan’s first loss in 19 matches at home, the streak dates back to May 2024 when Mumbai City FC beat them to the ISL cup. The defeat, following a draw away to Bengaluru FC, leaves Mohun Bagan in second place with 13 points from six matches.
Mohun Bagan next play Jamshedpur FC, who also have 13 points. FC Goa, the only other unbeaten team in the league, can get to 12 and East Bengal 11 after six rounds. Heading into the international break, the top half has got interesting.
Noufal PN’s goal in the 27th minute made the difference on a night when the football was pulsating between teams that have produced some exciting matches, played finals and once had nine players sent off. The approach of the teams though, was a study in contrasts.
Opening his shoulder, the 25-year-old from Kerala who joined Mumbai City in 2024 finished a move that will take some beating this season. Jorge Ortiz found Lallianzuala Chhangte, Mumbai’s preferred outlet for hitting on the break. Chhangte beat Alberto Rodriguez, passed to Jorge Pereyra Diaz who squared to Joni Kauko before the Fin dragged Abhishek Tekcham out of position and got Noufal in the clear as Liston Colaco was a step slow in tracking back. In one four-pass move, Mumbai City FC had fooled Mohun Bagan’s defence twice, first with Diaz’s turn and then with Kauko’s pass.
Clinical on the counter-attack, Mumbai City could have scored three minutes earlier when Chhangte beat Subhasish Bose but Vishal Kaith got big on the wide midfielder. Kaith was called on to make a double save in the 45th minute as Mumbai again hit their fancied rivals on the counter-attack, first from Chhangte and then Pereyra Diaz. That he can challenge for the India No.1 spot, assuming head coach Khalid Jamil calls players from Mohun Bagan against Hong Kong, will be small consolation for Kaith.
Sergio Lobera had wanted to go into the break with Mohun Bagan in pole position. To that end, the hosts came with one plan: attack. Mohun Bagan began with Dimitrios Petratos, Jason Cummings and Jamie Maclaren and, after substitute Deepak Tangri was substituted, finished with three defensive outfield players. But for all their possession, for the 17 corner-kicks they won as opposed to one by the visitors, and 16 shots, the telling piece of statistic barring the goal was that both teams had five shots on target. Barring flying to his left to keep out a Cummings header, Phurba Lachenpa had the quieter night in goal.
That happened because while Mohun Bagan managed to stretch the play with Liston Colaco and then Robson Da Silva, their deliveries did not threaten the team in blue who defended deep and in numbers. Kauko rarely ghosted into scoring areas and was always available to plug gaps in midfield, meaning Mohun Bagan were like the nor’wester that threatened all night but never grew into anything more threatening than a stiff breeze.
Robson’s weak shot in 90+5, which made the Brazilian bury his head in his hands, Maclaren and Cummings hitting the side-netting, and an angular free-kick from Petratos that flew over were the closest the 26,997 came to seeing a goal from the men in maroon and green.
Mumbai City came prepared to suffer. Mohun Bagan had 76% possession but it meant little as they kept getting caught in traffic. A team that had a plan and the resources to stick to it under pressure beat one that always looked hurried in their search for a goal. That Mumbai City FC had to absorb the exit of the City Football Group, didn't have Mohun Bagan's squad depth or as much time to prepare made this performance even more praiseworthy.
