Mumbai City taste first win at home
MUMBAI: Mumbai City FC ended the year on a high, winning their first home game of this Indian Super League (ISL) season after they beat bottom-placed Hyderabad FC 2-1 at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Sunday.
The hosts were a man down in the last 25 minutes of the match, but found their hero in last season’s top scorer Modou Sougou, who struck in the sixth and 78th minute. Hyderabad pulled one back in the 81st minute through Bobo, but Mumbai just about held on to their lead even as a goal was disallowed due to offside in injury time.
The victory propelled Mumbai City’s to fourth spot in the ISL table, level on points with defending champions Bengaluru FC with 16 points. Not only was this Mumbai City’s third straight victory, the team also found its 13th different goalscorer of the season in the Senegalese forward Sougou.
The first goal came in the sixth minute as Sougou opened his account for Mumbai this season. Carlos got behind the Hyderabad defence and pulled it back for
Sougou who placed beyond the reach of Kamaljit to make it 1-0.
Four minutes later, Serge Keryvn found Carlos on the left and the winger’s shot was just about saved by the Hyderabad custodian. Bobo was involved in the thick of action again when he headed wide under pressure from Mato Grgic as he met a cross from Ashish Rai.
Hyderabad could have got the equalizer soon after the halftime break when, from a setpiece, Adil’s header came off the far post and off the rebound, Bobo’s attempt was inadvertently blocked by fellow teammate Kilgallon. In the 67th minute, Marcelinho was denied by the woodwork as the Brazilian broke free on the left and his venomous shot struck the far post.
Mumbai suffered a massive blow a minute later when Sarthak Golui stopped Marcelinho in his tracks and picked up his second booking of the evening.
Mumbai, however, soon doubled their lead. Carlos found
Sougou in space and the Senegalese lobbed his effort over Kamaljit who was off his line to put Mumbai in a commanding position in the game.
Bobo did pull one back to score his fourth goal of the campaign as he got on the end of a cross from Rai to beat Amrinder to make it 2-1, but Mumbai held on for to bag three points.
GAMES RESCHEDULED
Meanwhile, the ISL rescheduled six matches of this season due to various factors. According to a statement posted by ISL on its website, the game between Northeast United FC and Chennaiyin FC, which was postponed on December 12 due to CAA protests in Guwahati, will now be played on February 25.
Another Northeast United game has also been rescheduled as their engagement against Jamshedpur FC has been moved from January 2 to February 10 “due to non-availability of the stadium” because of Khelo India Youth Games to be held at the venue from January 2 to 22. Among other changes, the February 13 match between FC Goa and Mumbai City FC has been moved to February 12.