Aizawl look to beat Bagan to stay in title contention
AIZAWL: The last time Aizawl FC hosted Mohun Bagan in the I-league, they created history. On April 22, 2017, Aizwal beat the Kolkata giants to secure their maiden league title (also the first for a club from the North East) with one game to spare.
The defending champions host Bagan on Thursday afternoon; once again in need of full points if they are to defend their title. Aizawl are placed 6th on the table with 14 points. They have already suffered two home defeats, as compared to just one last season. Their last game against NEROCA FC contributed to one of those home losses.
Bagan on the other hand, will be high on confidence after beating their arch rivals East Bengal FC for the second time this season in their last outing. They cur- rently occupy fifth position with 16 points from their 10 games played. “Winning the derby is always a motivation but playing at Aizawl is always hard. Last season we lost at Aizawl and our title hope faded away. Our aim is to win and to stay in contention,” said Bagan head coach Sankar Lal Chakraborty.
LAJONG’S SHOCK WIN ENDS NEROCA’S RUN
IMPHAL: First-half goals by Saihou Jagne and Abdoulaye Koffi sealed a comfortable 2-0 win for Shillong Lajong against NEROCA on Wednesday.
The loss brought NEROCA’S nine-game unbeaten run to an end.
Gurtej Singh and Emiliano Alfaro scored a goal each in a span of four minutes as FC Pune City scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win Jamshedpur FC in a thrilling Indian Super League match.
With the win, Pune are on the top of the table with 22 points from 12 games.
While Gurtej scored in the 62nd minute, Alfaro followed it up in the 66th to give the hosts a match-winning 2-1 lead, after being a goal down till the first half.
BREAKING SHACKLES
In the 29th minute, Jamshedpur broke the shackles after Brazilian Wellington Priori netted home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
In the 36th minute, Jamshedpur had the opportunity to make it 2-0, but their Nigerian striker Azuka Izu flicked it wide after being fed by a cross from Brazilian Trindade Matheus Goncalves.
The visitors wasted yet another chance when striker Jerry Mawihmingthanga shot above the bar after getting a cross from Priori in the 38th minute.
Pune missed a golden opportunity in the additional time of the first half when Alfaro failed to put the ball into the net from a goalmouth melee.
But in the second half, the tables turned on Jamshedpur. After missing couple of shots early on and a free-kick in the 56 minute, the hosts equalised in the 62th minute, courtesy a stunning header by Gurtej.
The charged up Pune players kept on building pressure and it paid off when in the 66th minute star striker Alfaro scored to give Pune a 2-1 lead.