Mohun Bagan sailed into the next round of the AFC Cup as they thumped Valencia in their second-leg tie at Rabindra Sarobar stadium on Tuesday.
Jeje’s brace, a Norde stunner and an own goal from Valencia’s defender Hussain Nihaan ensured the game was won for the Bengal giants. Omodu pulled one back for the visitors as they were outstripped by an aggregate of 5-2.
Bagan drew first blood as early as the 2nd minute of the game as Jeje tucked the spot-kick into the bottom right corner of the net, sending Valencia’s custodian, Faisal the other way. Mohun Bagan doubled their lead when Nihaan, in an attempt to intercept the cross intended for Jeje from Balwant, steered the ball into the net.
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Omodu pulled a goal back for Valencia after he exploited a gap, running straight between Anas and Eduardo and then blasted the ball into the net past the fully stretched hands of Debjit Majumder.
Jeje scored the insurance goal for Bagan with a full-stretched dive to head the ball home after being brilliantly teed up by Prabir Das. He was lurking behind the Valencia defenders, waiting silently for the cross and he met it with full power to ensure that the dividends were handsome enough for his effort.
Sony Norde was finally awarded for his talismanic effort on the field earlier in the match when he drilled the ball low into the net to polish off the rout in style.
Let’s recap the five key talking points of the match.
#1 Norde ran rings around Valencia at will
Sony Norde’s inclusion to the squad kept alive hopes of a Valencia demolition despite multiple changes in the Mohun Bagan side.
The Haitian laid the foundation for Mohun Bagan’s dominance. His acceleration down the flanks left Valencia defenders stranded and he made them chase shadows as he unleashed a battery of shots and crosses for Mohun Bagan to proliferate.
Bagan could have easily compounded their lead to a much better margin only if Balwant could have steered crosses home from point blank range. Sony’s speed caught his marker off guard on most occasions and his dribbles were sheer class.
In one of his runs, Sony’s delectable footwork and speed foxed four Valencia defenders easily, however, his cross was squandered away by Balwant.
Balwant chested down a cross for Katsumi, the latter slid the ball through for a darting Sony, who danced down the penalty box and slotted the ball home from close range, making it 4-1 for the hosts.
#2 Jeje, the star man for Bagan
Jeje, who made a comeback to the side after an abysmal run in the last couple of matches of the ongoing I-League, came out with flying colours as he netted two valuable goals and would have had a hat-trick if not for an own goal by Nihaan.
The Indian's dominance started right from the outset of the game when he tried to slot the ball home but that essay saw an ugly end as the shot hit the hand of Usam, one of the defenders of Valencia, and the referee straightway pointed to the spot.
The striker stepped up to the spot and made no mistake in converting the penalty home, taking Bagan ahead in the game.
Jeje was on the hunt for another goal when he chased hard for a ball from Prabir at the stroke of half-time. However, before he could reach the ball, Hussain Nihaan‘s out-stretched drive – in an attempt to steer the ball to safety – sent it into the net, compounding Bagan’s lead.
The Indian striker’s second goal deserved all the plaudits that are possible. He lurked behind the defenders like a silent assassin waiting to pounce on his victim, Prabir whipped in a delectable cross from the right and the striker’s full-stretched dive and powerful shot ensured that the ball flew past a flat-footed Faisal.
#3 Sturdy defence from Anas and Eduardo
Anas has probably been Bagan’s best defender in the last 2-3 years. The defender from Kerala has a sturdy physique and an eagle’s eye to intercept most attacks that rush down Bagan’s way.
His partnership with the Brazilian, Eduardo Ferreira, has been one of the most important reasons for Bagan’s success this year. Both the defenders seemed to use their physique to the fullest extent and notched up clean tackles against their Maldivian opposition.
At one point in the game, it felt as though the Valencia players were extremely fragile and were taking a tumble at even the slightest of a push. However, most of their efforts to break through the Bagan defence were nullified by the Indo-Brazilian duo.
Eduardo chipped in with some last ditch tackles to thwart the attacks of Valencia and Anas’s neat clearances saw off any danger that loomed on the horizon for Bagan. However, just on the 50-minute mark, both defenders were caught napping when Omodu ran right between them and slammed the ball into the net.
After the goal, though, Valencia had chances few and far between
#4 Several chances went begging for both the sides
Despite an emphatic victory, coach Sanjoy Sen clearly seemed dejected. Bagan won the match by a three-goal margin but it could have easily been 6-7 goal margin if the strikers, particularly Balwant Singh, had kept their calm.
Singh had a number of misses, when teed up by Sony, Katsumi and Prabir Das. Valencia were even more disappointing in front of goal. They were through on goals several times but failed to even test Debjit for most of them.
Half of their essays fizzled away due to the supremacy of Anas and Eduardo. The chances that did make it into Bagan’s half were steered to safety by Debjit.
Nimal could have got the second goal for Valencia only if he would have kept his calm.
#5 Dynamic wing-play from Bagan sets the tone of the game
Bagan’s wingers gave the team dynamism and bombed forward at every given opportunity. Prabir Das down the right and Sony Norde down the left tormented the Valencia defenders.
Constant runs from Sony Norde with his lovely and crisp skills made it delightful game to watch for the 4850 fans in the stadium. Every single time Sony was on the run, the concourse roared in applause.
Similarly, Prabir Das exuded untenable speed and his acceleration was unmatched. It was Das who laid the foundation for Jeje’s second goal and unleashed a battery of crosses for Jeje and Balwant.
Perfect crosses laced with lovely dribbles and at times powerful pile-drivers of their own, Das and Norde kept the visitors always on their toes.
Das could have got himself a goal if he had a little luck but instead shot it straight at the defender.
At the end of the day, Bagan will be a happy side as they bagged a comprehensive victory and Jeje’s return to form will also be a morale booster before their vital I-league clash against Churchill on Saturday.
