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Mumbai City FC secured an extraordinary victory by coming back from two goals down to beat FC Goa in the first leg of their ISL semi-final clash at the Fatorda Stadium.
FC Goa had a cushion after goals in either half from Boris Singh and Brandon Fernandes, but just as the clock struck the 90th-minute mark, Mumbai City FC, spurred on by substitutes, made an incredible comeback with a brace from Chhangte and a goal from Vikram Pratap Singh, ensuring that they go into the second leg with a lead.
The clash of two ISL titans certainly had high expectations, given the quality of the players. However, it was the Gaurs, backed by the massive support at the Fatorda, who started the game strongly. They took the lead in the 15th minute after Mohammad Yasir capitalized on Mehtab Singh’s mistake, before teeing up Boris Singh, who arrived at the far post in a flash for a simple tap-in.
Mumbai began to grow into the game after the first goal, with Lallianzuala Chhangte and Thaer Krouma coming close to scoring. But despite their dominance in possession statistics, the Gaurs shut them down in the first half, with the Islanders having just four shots on goal.
Half-time appeared to come at the wrong time for Mumbai, as they seemed to have lost momentum coming out of the break. FC Goa, as they have consistently done this season, capitalized on it, with Brandon Fernandes scoring another one of his curlers from 25 yards out to double the home side’s lead.
The second period seemed to be going entirely in favor of the Gaurs, and they had several opportunities to put the game to bed. However, that certainly came back to bite them in the final minutes as Mumbai City made a comeback for the ages.
First, Chhangte latched on to Jayesh Rane’s through ball to score Mumbai’s first goal in the 90th minute. Momentum suddenly shifted the Islanders’ way as Vikram Pratap Singh turned in the second goal in the second minute of stoppage time before the Rane-Chhangte partnership linked up for a goal yet again, with Chhangte finding the back of the net from close range to complete the extraordinary comeback.
The Gaurs supporters were shocked to witness the scenes, but for Mumbai City, it will certainly be an unforgettable night on the Goan shores. On that very note, let’s take a look at how they fared in the first leg of the semi-final clash.
Mumbai City FC Player ratings
Phurba Lachenpa [7.5]
Lachenpa wasn’t at fault for either of the goals, and his stunning reflex save off Onaindia’s effort kept Mumbai City in the tie. His passing was decent, and he was also solid in terms of high claims in the penalty area.
Mehtab Singh [4.0]
Asked to play as a right-back, Mehtab Singh’s mistake led to the first goal as he attempted to control a loose ball, but his poor touch allowed Yasir to pounce on it before he set up Boris.
He was at fault for the second goal as well, cheaply giving away the ball to Fernandes, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net. Overall, it was a forgettable night for the Indian international.
Rahul Bheke [5.5]
Bheke did well in winning duels against Noah Sadaoui and did not commit any significant errors. However, it seemed that he could have protected Mehtab Singh and he certainly should have also closed down Brandon for the second goal.
Tiri [7.5]
Tiri was assigned the role of being the chief ball progressor in the team. However, with FC Goa staying narrow and compact defensively, he struggled to play passes into midfield.
While Mumbai City conceded several shots, most of the chances came from the left side, as Tiri remained largely solid and made some crucial interventions.
Akash Mishra [N/A]
Mishra was unfortunately replaced by Valpuia early in the game after suffering a knee injury.
Thaer Krouma [6.0]
Krouma operated as a box-to-box midfielder, enjoying the freedom to move wider or drift into the penalty box to provide an option. He fulfilled his role effectively, even managing a couple of shots on goal, but nothing more.
Yoell Van Nieff [6.0]
Positioned in front of the center-backs, Van Nieff’s touches were sharp, but his passing was not up to his usual standard, as he gave away possession cheaply, while the Gaurs’ defense comfortably dealt with his long passes.
Apuia Ralte [6.0]
Apuia frequently operated higher up the pitch in the half-spaces and performed solidly. His close control and short passing were on point, but he failed to make a significant impact in the final third, where it ultimately mattered.
Vikram Pratap Singh [7.5]
Vikram was typically the outlet for Mumbai City, but FC Goa were quick to consistently double up on him, resulting in a frustrating first half for him. However, he improved in the second period and was rewarded for being in the right place at the right time to score the equalizer in stoppage time.
Lallianzuala Chhangte [9.5]
Chhangte was Mumbai City’s potent attacking threat, and he created a couple of chances in the opening half as well.
Just when it seemed like he had faded out of the game in the second half, he made a brilliant run behind FC Goa’s defense before rounding off the keeper to score the first goal. He then found himself perfectly placed to score the winner within a matter of five minutes.
Jakub Vojtus [5.0]
Vojtus was asked to replace Pereyra Diaz, but his impact didn’t quite match the Argentine's level. He did hold up the play well when receiving possession with his back to goal, but overall, Goa were able to nullify him quite comfortably.
Substitutes
Valpuia [6.0]
Valpuia didn’t offer much attacking threat, but he largely stuck to his task and performed well against both Boris and Udanta Singh.
Bipin Singh [6.5]
Bipin certainly looked lively among the attackers when he came on around the hour mark, and while he did have his moments against Jay Gupta, his impact was quite limited.
Jayesh Rane [9.0]
Rane kept the play ticking and made a huge impact by threading an inch-perfect through ball to Chhangte to bring Mumbai right back into the game.
He was also heavily involved in the third goal, beating a couple of challenges before his effort fell straight to Chhangte, who eventually scored. He certainly repaid Kratky’s trust in impressive fashion.
Gurkirat Singh [8.0]
Mumbai City needed a different approach off the bench, and Gurkirat arrived with just three minutes left, making an instant impact. It was his long-range effort that was parried away by Dheeraj Singh straight at the feet of Vikram, who pounced on it.
Sanjeev Stalin [6.0]
He was tidy in possession and did well defensively in the final minutes of the game.
