FC Goa and ATK Mohun Bagan faced off at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim in match no. 92 of the Indian Super League (ISL).
The two sides met previously after Juan Ferrando had changed camps. On that night, it was the Mariners who came out on top. Things weren't too different in the second meeting of the season.
FC Goa came off the back of a 5-0 win against Chennaiyin FC and was considered a formidable opponent by many. However, the Mariners had raised the roof with a win against table topper Hyderabad FC and with great matches, they looked like a side with an advantage.
ATK Mohun Bagan started the second-leg meeting against FC Goa with a bang. The Mariners bagged their first goal of the game with just three minutes on the clock. Prabir Das's cross was headed away by Dylan Fox, resulting in a corner. Liston Colaco stepped up to take it and made a near-post delivery.
Manvir Singh was quick to react and headed the ball into the back of the net. Moments after the goal, Juan Ferrando's side pressed high up the pitch, making it difficult for FC Goa to stick to their usual build-up strategy.
However, Derrick Pereira's side grew steadily into the game as the half progressed. Albert Noguera, Jorge Ortiz, and Brandon Fernandes controlled the game very well. Amidst all of this, ATK Mohun Bagan had another chance which went begging.
Finnish international Joni Kauko made a darting run towards the FC Goa box and was crowded by three defenders. The box-to-box moved slightly to his right and used the space between the defenders to shoot. The shot was inches away from the goal. Had it been on target, Dheeraj Singh would not have been able to stop it from going in.
For the complete ISL fixtures, click here.
ATK Mohun Bagan's attacking duo causing mayhem in FC Goa defense
ATK Mohun Bagan took no time in increasing their lead after the break. Mavir Singh was at it again. Princeton Rebello was casual with the ball and charged down by Lenny in the middle.
The ATK Mohun Bagan midfielder snatched the ball and passed it to Manvir Singh, who made a brilliant run past the defense and waited for the right moment for Dheeraj Singh to commit. The striker ran past FC Goa's custodian and scored his second match.
Manvir had a chance to be a hat-trick moments later. Liston Colaco received the ball on the left flank and ran past everyone. He saw Manvir getting inside the box and passed it to him. But Dheeraj was clever this time and dived right onto the ball's path and blocked the shot.
The Gaurs had some moments in the game where they looked dominant but nothing came out of the possession they had. Instead, the Mariners sat back and patiently waited for the chances and utilized the pace of their forwards in doing the damage.