Odisha FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan: Who won yesterday's match?

Odisha FC’s disappointing season spiraled down even further with a 1-4 loss against ATK Mohun Bagan in the 84th match of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season at the GMC Bambolim Stadium in Goa. The duo of Manvir Singh and Roy Krishna got two goals each as ATK Mohun Bagan ripped their opponents apart in the second-half.

The struggling Odisha FC didn’t get off to a great start as Jacob Tratt got a yellow card in just the 2nd minute for a poorly timed sliding tackle on Marcelinho. Marcelinho continued to be lively as ATK Mohun Bagan looked up and ready for the game. Eventually, it took a wonder-goal from Manvir Singh to open the scoring in the 11th minute. After receiving a pass from Roy Krishna on the right flank, Manvir cut in and curled the ball into the far post to shock Arshdeep Singh and the entire Odisha FC side.

With Pronay Halder and Lenny Rodrigues in front of ATK Mohun Bagan’s defense, Odisha FC weren’t able to enter the opposition half at all. Left-back Rakesh Pradhan went direct from a free-kick but his effort was headed out by Pritam Kotal. The duo of Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Manuel Onwu tried to come up with crosses but the ATK Mohun Bagan defense stayed compact to block those attempts.

At the other end, Krishna held up the ball outside the box for Marcelinho but the Brazilian’s shot was saved superbly by Arshdeep. Soon, Marcelinho could have had a superb attempt at goal but Jacob Tratt came up with a pivotal sliding challenge to rescue Odisha FC.

Just when it looked like Odisha FC will go into the break with a 0-1 score against their favour, skipper Cole Alexander curled the ball around Arindam Bhattacharja to score another beautiful goal on the night. The strike came after the young Ramfangzauva almost bettered Manvir Singh’s initial goal with a thunderous strike. However, the ball struck the post and deflected onto Alexander’s path for a glorious equalizer.

Given the need to close the gap with Mumbai City FC, a strong ATK Mohun Bagan reaction was expected and that was seen immediately in the second-half. Manvir Singh registered a brace and put ATK Mohun Bagan in the lead in the 54th minute. Once again, Manvir received the ball from Krishna and delivered a low shot inside the near post but Arshdeep let the ball go underneath him to concede a soft goal.

Thereafter, the shoulders of the Odisha FC players only dropped as the Mariners came up with a wave of attacking moves. The Kalinga Warriors got a few half chances including a free-kick in the 65th minute but Diego Mauricio didn’t manage to make the ball dip in time. Two minutes later, Vinit Rai produced a shot from outside the box but the strike was diverted for a corner.

Odisha FC suffered another unlucky blow when the referee pointed to the spot for a hand-ball from Alexander after discussing with the fourth official. The ball hit Alexander’s arm just inside the box but the contact was not made in an unnatural position. From such a situation, Krishna was never going to miss as he buried the penalty and extended the lead for his side. Krishna got himself a brace in the 86th minute by chipping the ball past Arshdeep to wrap up a dominant 4-1 victory.

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Who was the Hero of the Match?

Odisha FC interim manager Gerald Peyton had nothing but praise for Manvir Singh. Courtesy: ISL

Forward Manvir Singh was named as the ‘Hero of the Match’ for scoring two fine goals against the Kalinga Warriors. ATK Mohun Bagan manager Antonio Lopez Habas entrusted Manvir on the right flank and he repaid with a fantastic curling goal to put the side ahead very early on.

Manvir did get some help from Arshdeep for his second goal but he deserved it for his offensive work-rate. The 25-year-old combined especially well with Roy Krishna with the Fijian managing to get his second goal after Manvir won a header to direct the ball towards him.