Noah Sadaoui’s last-gasp goal handed Kerala Blasters a narrow 3-2 win over Odisha FC in their Indian Super League match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Monday. Noah scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of the added time after both sides were locked 2-2. Blasters’ other two goals were scored by Kwame Peprah (60th) and Jesus Jimenez (73rd). Jerry Mawihmingthanga (4th) and Dori (80th) were the goal-scorers for Odisha FC. The Juggernauts are now winless in their last four games, and the Kochi-based team is unbeaten (W5, D2) in all seven games that Noah has found the back of the net this season, as the home team scored thrice in the final half hour of the game.

The Juggernauts made a positive start in the fourth minute, opting for a relatively direct route to surprise the Kerala Blasters defence.

Once inside the box, Dori aerially overpowered Pritam Kotal to make a headed pass for Jerry Mawihmingthanga, who was in the middle of the 18-yard area.

Jerry covered a few crucial yards with quick pace, made an impressive adjustment and deposited the ball into the bottom right corner with a slightly high footed shot to open the scoring.

Kwame Peprah managed to pull an equaliser in the 60th minute.

Korou Singh produced a creative through ball from the right flank that swung inside the Odisha FC defence. The pass was delivered at the perfect pace, but it was Peprah who outpaced Mourtada Fall and Rohit Kumar to get at the end of the pass and hammer it into the bottom left corner.

Kerala Blasters stepped up their attacking moves thereafter. The entire frontline came to the fore to dissect the Odisha FC defence in the 73rd minute.

Adrian Luna shifted to the right flank and curled in a cross for Noah on the far left post. Noah produced his smarts, making a headed pass to Jesus Jimenez at the centre rather than going for the goal.

Jimenez met the assist perfectly, booting the ball to the high centre of the net and getting the home side the lead.

Odisha FC regrouped following Jimenez’s strike. Diego Mauricio took a free-kick from the edge of the box down the centre, which was aimed perfectly at the top right corner, but saved in time by Sachin Suresh.

The ball was cleared but met Saviour Gama outside the 18-yard box. Gama unleashed a powerful effort that had to be saved by the Kerala Blasters goalkeeper at the high centre of the goal.

Dori immediately pounced upon the rebound, depositing the ball into the net from extremely close distance to level the scores in the 80th minute. However, their momentum was disrupted by Carlos Delgado getting sent off in the 83rd minute for picking his second yellow card.

Kerala Blasters capitalised on this one-man advantage, by outnumbering the Odisha FC defence in the final third. They kept chasing the winner deep inside the added time of the second half, with Noah delivering the finishing touch to enable them to get the three points from the night.

Riding on Jamie Maclaren’s record second-minute goal, Mohun Bagan Super Giant extended their dominance in the Kolkata derby with a 1-0 win over traditional rivals East Bengal FC in their Indian Super League match in Guwahati on Saturday. The match was moved to the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium after the Bidhannagar Police, under whose jurisdiction the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata falls, cited concerns over inadequate security because of the ongoing Gangasagar Mela. Jamie Maclaren scored the fastest goal of the Kolkata derby in ISL and it was enough for the reigning champions to see out their arch-rivals, while going eight points clear (35) at the top of the table, compared to the second-placed Bengaluru FC (27).

The Mariners have now won nine times and drawn once in their 10 derby clashes against East Bengal FC in the ISL.

The Mariners started the game strongly as Maclaren handed them the early lead in the second minute.

The East Bengal FC backline was caught off-guard as Asish Rai’s long ball found Maclaren in space. After receiving the ball, he lost his marker and slotted it past an onrushing Prabhsukhan Gill without any difficulty.

Around the sixth minute mark, it was East Bengal FC’s turn to attack and they did get two great opportunities to equalise through PV Vishnu and Cleiton Silva. But, both the players weren’t clinical enough as they saw their attempts get blocked.

In the 21st minute, the Mariners almost doubled their lead when Maclaren found Manvir Singh with a telling cross. However, the latter’s shot was straight at Gill with the entire goal found gaping.

East Bengal FC gained a lot of momentum as the first half came to a close with the likes of Jeakson Singh, Vishnu and Cleiton getting on the ball in the final third and creating problems for the Mohun Bagan Super Giant backline. However, they weren’t clinical enough to end the first half on level terms.

The second half was extremely cagey with the Mariners enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but they weren’t able to break down East Bengal FC’s resolute defence. Whereas, Oscar Bruzon’s men were looking to hit the Mariners with their gritty counter-attacks. But there weren’t many chances of note in the first quarter of the second half.

Things took a drastic turn in the 64th minute when Souvik Chakrabarti brought down Liston Colaco near the penalty area, only to receive his second yellow card followed by subsequent marching orders.

With one goal down, East Bengal FC were now chasing the game with 10 men. As a retaliation, Bruzon brought on Naorem Mahesh Singh in place of David Lalhlansanga with the hope of solidifying the midfield.

In the 75th minute, Jose Molina freshened things up as he replaced Jason Cummings with Greg Stewart. He almost made an immediate impact when he released Liston on the left flank, but his subsequent effort was blocked by Gill.

Just like in the first half, East Bengal FC were on the ascendancy for the final 10 minutes in the second half and therefore the likes of Dimitrios Petratos and Deepak Tangri came on late in the game with the hope of closing out the match.

The Red & Golds threw bodies forward in the last few minutes of the game but they lacked quality in the final third to break through the defence of the Mariners as they continued their near-perfect record in the fixture.

Bengaluru FC played out a 2-2 draw against FC Goa.© X/@bengalurufc

The legendary Chhetri etched his name in the Indian Super League (ISL) record books on Saturday, becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the league’s history as he powered Bengaluru FC to a commanding 4-2 victory over Kerala Blasters. At 40 years and 126 days, Chhetri became the oldest hat-trick scorer in the ISL history, surpassing Bartholomew Ogbeche who did it for Hyderabad FC against FC Goa at 38 years and 96 days old in January 2023. The former India captain, who retired from international football earlier this year, struck in the 8th, 73rd and 90 8 minutes, while Ryan Williams scored the other goal for the Blues in the 38th minute.

Jesus Jimenez (56th) and Freddy Lallawmawma (67th) were the goal scorers for Kerala Blasters.

Bengaluru FC were clinical in converting the limited opportunities that they created, as four of their five shots on target resulted in goals.

The duo of Chhetri and Williams were critical in helping the Blues take a 2-0 advantage in the first-half of the game.

The home side were pressing forward from the onset, exploring a host of opportunities to find the back of the net.

Williams was central in that endeavour, driving to the flank with the ball before lobbing in a precise cross for Chhetri in the eighth minute. The striker timed his run to perfection and thundered in the assist to break the deadlock.

From provider, Williams turned the scorer in the 38th minute. Operating in the final third, Williams received a pass from Edgar Mendez at the edge of the box on the right side. Instead of playing a short pass forward, Williams curled in an excellent shot into the top left corner to add another goal to his side’s tally.

Kerala Blasters entered the second half of the match with arguably greater intensity, taking the game to the opposition.

Noah Sadaoui played a key role in that, setting up an assist for Jesus Jimenez in the 56th minute. Jimenez’s left footed effort found its way into the centre of the goal to cut the deficit.

With momentum swaying in their favour, Kerala Blasters equalised in the 67th minute. Freddy Lallawmawma’s exceptional aerial abilities came to the fore as he scored from a Adrian Luna’s cross following a corner.

Bengaluru FC immediately got together and their seasoned frontline took the lead in that. Six minutes later, Jorge Pereyra Diaz and Chhetri interlinked in the attacking half, as the Argentine orchestrated the goal with his accurate pass from a fast break, picking the latter on the centre of the box. Chhetri deposited the ball into the bottom left corner.

To his credit, Chhetri kept finding himself in goal-scoring opportunities and that was consistent right until the end of the game.

In the added time of the second half, Chinglensana Singh turned to Chhetri following a set piece scenario and the striker was perfectly positioned in the middle of the 18-yard area. His finishing finesse was visible again, as he slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to complete a treble of goals.

FC Goa clinched their 50th clean sheet in the competition and continued their formidable form as they edged past Kerala Blasters FC 1-0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season on Thursday. It was an intensely cagey affair between the two teams, as neither was allowing an inch to their opposition. It was an interesting midfield tussle, with the Kerala Blasters FC preferring their homegrown talents, Vibin Mohanan and Freddy Lallawmawma, against FC Goa’s Carl McHugh-led midfield.

The first opportunity of the game fell to Iker Guarrotxena when the Spaniard struck the post from a well-planned freekick. It was straight out of the training ground and it took the opposition defenders by surprise. However, it was cleared away after hitting the far post with Sachin Suresh completely beaten between the sticks.

The Gaurs were relentless in attack post the 30-minute mark and their persistence eventually bore fruit when Sahil Tavora found Boris Singh on the right flank with acres of space. The winger tried his luck from a narrow angle and to everyone’s surprise, Sachin Suresh failed to parry the ball away, eventually conceding in the 40th minute.

It has been a tough inaugural season for Mikael Stahre with his team dropping points due to several individual errors. One such incident happened today with Sachin Suresh fluffing his lines which otherwise was a very regulation save. Now the goal handed FC Goa the lead at the break, allowing the visitors to dictate terms in the second period.

The Gaurs started the second half just like they finished the first one. They almost doubled their lead when Dejan Drazic was in behind the Blasters’ backline on a fast break. He wriggled his way past Pritam Kotal but was eventually denied by Sachin Suresh.

With Manolo Marquez’s men continuing their onslaught, Stahre decided to shake things up with wholesale changes in the 56th minute. He brought on the likes of Kwame Peprah, Korou Singh and Sandeep Singh replacing Jesus Jimenez, Rahul KP and Pritam Kotal respectively.

Peprah was off the blocks quickly with a brilliantly weighted diagonal ball to Noah Sadaoui. However, the Moroccan’s final ball intended towards Luna was expertly blocked by Akash Sangwan. There was a spell in between which belonged to the hosts but the likes of Odei Onaindia and Sandesh Jhingan held their fort with aplomb.

In the 84th minute, Manolo turned to his substitutions as he brought on the trio of Armando Sadiku, Borja Herrera and Udanta Singh to freshen things up for the visitors. FC Goa’s defenders were once again called into action by young Korou, who took two attempts on goal in quick succession but both times it was kept out. The youngster was in a great position to equalise in the first instance but he was denied by an excellent block from Jhingan, who threw his body on the line to safeguard the lead for the Gaurs.

Mumbai City FC rode on left-back Nathan Rodrigues’ strike to hold Chennaiyin FC 1-1 in a thrilling draw in the Indian Super League in Chennai on Saturday. Captain Ryan Edwards opened the scoring for Chennaiyin after an hour of gritty play. However their joy was short-lived as Rodrigues levelled the scores three minutes later in the milestone 1,000th contest of the ISL. The Marina Machans moved from seventh to fourth in the standings with 12 points, while the Islanders remained at eighth spot with 10 points.

The action began with a long-range effort from Yoell van Nieff in the 19th minute, who unleashed a powerful shot that tested CFC goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz, but he narrowly missed the mark.

With the hosts’ backline on alert following the visitors’ attempt, a minute later, Tiri rose above the Chennaiyin defenders during a corner, sending a powerful header towards goal, resulting in a nearly-close miss.

MCFC continued with their attack intent, as Nikolaos Karelis found an opening inside the box in the 30th minute and moved in quickly to capitalise on a loose ball.

Although his shot troubled the CFC defence, it lacked the accuracy to find the back of the net.

Both teams had to wait until the subsequent half to score their respective goals.

Following the restart after the break, the Marina Machans broke the deadlock in the 60th minute through a set-piece situation, as Connor Shields provided a straightforward cross into the box.

Edwards jumped above the Mumbai defenders and connected a powerful header, perfectly placed into the bottom right corner.

A corner from Van Nieff resulted in Rodrigues positioning and timing his jump perfectly.

He connected it with a powerful header as the ball raced into the top right corner to level the scoreline.

Thereon, the two sides gave their all, but despite their best efforts, no team could manage a winner.

FC Goa maintained their excellent form.© X/@IndSuperLeague

Odisha FC defeated Jamshedpur FC 2-1.© X/@OdishaFC

Following their emphatic win, Punjab FC now sit at the top of the ISL table.© X/@IndSuperLeague

Mohun Bagan’s defensive frailties haunted them once again within a fortnight, as they squandered a two-goal lead to play out a 2-2 draw with Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League opening match in Kolkata on Friday. One of the longest serving foreigners of the league, Mumbai City’s Tiri gave his former side Mohun Bagan an early lead with an own goal in the ninth minute before scoring for his current team’s first goal of the day in the 70th minute. Alberto Rodriguez, making his ISL debut for Mohun Bagan, had given the Mariners a two-goal advantage with a 28th minute strike.

However, reminiscent of their Durand Cup final defeat to NorthEast United FC on August 31 at the same venue, the Jose Molina-coached Mohun Bagan could not maintain their advantage.

Amid a heavy downpour, Mumbai City FC mounted a strong comeback in the second-half equalising through substitute Thaer Krouma to secure a crucial away point.

Mohun Bagan’s Liston Colaco was allowed to penetrate the Mumbai defence, out-muscling Valpuia to enter the box. It was after Mumbai City failed to clear a free kick taken by Mohun Bagan.

Subhasish Bose threaded a pass to Colaco on the left wing, who then delivered a low cross into the six-yard box. Mumbai’s goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa missed his interception, and the ball deflected off Tiri, sending it into his own net to give Mohun Bagan an early lead.

Mumbai had their chances, most notably in the 13th minute when captain Lallianzuala Chhangte’s inviting cross from the right found Nikolaos Karelis at the far post, but the striker mistimed his header, missing a golden opportunity to equalise.

The Mariners doubled their advantage in the 28th minute through debutant Alberto Rodriguez’s fiery strike.

Following another defensive mix-up, Mumbai City once again failed to clear their lines after a Mohun Bagan corner. Dimitri Petratos retrieved the loose ball to Ashish Rai on the right, who delivered a pinpoint cross into the box.

Greg Stewart rose highest at the far post and nodded the ball down into the path of Rodriguez, who finished calmly with a side-footed strike to score his first ISL goal.

The second-half began with Mumbai City pushing for goals, but Manzoro’s wild shot in the 46th minute went over the bar.

Rodriguez, who had been instrumental in their first-half performance, went down with a cramp in the 79th minute and had to be substituted. This proved to be a setback as their attack lost its sting and Mumbai City capitalised on this shift in momentum.

In the 87th minute, Mumbai made crucial substitutions, bringing on Krouma and Brandon Fernandes.

The final blow came in stoppage time when Krouma scored in the 90th minute, finishing off a slick move from Noufal to level the score 2-2.

Despite Mohun Bagan’s late penalty shout for handball and captain Subhasish Bose receiving a yellow card, Mumbai City’s comeback was complete with a dramatic draw.

Without familiar names like Rahul Bheke, Alberto Noguera and Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Petr Kratky’s Mumbai City FC began with a 4-3-3 formation with chhangte, bipin and Nikolaos Karelis upfront.

Molina, on the other hand, had more power in the midfield in a 3-5-2 formation with Dimitri Petratos and Greg Stewart leading Mohun Bagan attack.