BFC head coach Pep Munoz feels that if the team has a good result against Mumbai City, the team will be right up there in the title race.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Mumbai City FC (MCFC) has beaten East Bengal FC (EBFC) by 3-2 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25. Despite conceding 55% of the possession to East Bengal FC, the Islanders (MCFC) were more lethal in the final third, taking eight shots on target as opposed to the five of the home team, and moved up to fifth from the seventh spot in the standings. Mumbai City FC were offensively prolific in the first-half, recording 12 touches inside East Bengal FC’s box in the opening 45 minutes. Nikolaos Karelis’ thumping header from near the six-yard box was blocked on the goal-line after a well-coordinated corner move by the Islanders in the 28th minute. Tiri received the ball on the far post and headed it to Karelis, who tried to nod the ball home, but his shot couldn’t trouble the net, an ISL release said.

Eleven minutes later, the visitors pulled off another flawless sequence from the back, with their defensive unit initiating the attack. Brandon Fernandes picked the ball from Vikram Partap Singh at the centre from distance. Immediately, Brandon carved open the East Bengal FC defence with a slick through-ball intended for Lallianzuala Chhangte. The attacker took a fine touch, before he deposited it into the bottom left corner with a fierce right-footed shot to break the deadlock. EBFC 0 – 1 MCFC

They capitalised on this momentum, with Yoell van Nieff coming to the fore with a similar delivery that swung past the gaps in the East Bengal FC backline. This time around, the ball was directed to Karelis, who took an instant shot that was stopped by Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. However, the striker latched on to the rebound, placing the ball into the bottom right corner in the 43rd minute to double their lead. EBFC 0 – 2 MCFC

The home side regained their attacking intensity as soon as the second essay of the game began though. They didn’t let the Islanders settle and dictate the offensive endeavours as was the case in the first half. Naorem Mahesh Singh put pressure on the Mumbai City FC defence with an industrious effort in the 66th minute down the left flank. The Petr Kratky-coached team fell short of clearing the ball out, which instead ended up landing at Dimitrios Diamantakos’ feet on the right post. The striker tried for a lateral pass from close range, but Mumbai City FC’s Sahil Panwar got in the way and struck the ball inside his own net, reducing the deficit for the Red & Gold Brigade. EBFC 1 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC started stretching the Islanders’ defence thereafter, going out wide, exploring spaces at the centre, and winning the occasional set-piece to put the opposition behind. In the 83rd minute, a corner kick led to the equaliser for the Kolkata-based side. The Islanders wore a disorganised look for a brief while and it was enough for the Oscar Bruzon-coached unit to pounce upon. By pushing sheer numbers ahead, they overwhelmed the Mumbai City FC backline in their own box. Hector Yuste showed his smarts by using his head to lay a ball on David Lalhlansanga’s path at the centre of the box, and the latter used his left foot to send the ball into the bottom left corner. EBFC 2 – 2 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s joy was short-lived though, as Mumbai City FC snatched the winner four minutes later, with Karelis bagging his brace. The Islanders had Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Nathan Rodrigues unlock the Red & Gold Brigade defence with a well-paced delivery down the centre of the box from the left flank. Hijazi Maher couldn’t intercept and thwart the threat, resulting in Karelis picking the ball swiftly and caressing it into the bottom left corner to secure all three points for his team. EBFC 2 – 3 MCFC

East Bengal FC’s next match will be the Kolkata Derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant on January 11, whereas Mumbai City FC are set to feature against Jamshedpur FC on January 12.

Nikolaos Karelis’ early strike earned Mumbai City FC a 1-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League here on Saturday before East Bengal FC triumphed over Jamshedpur FC 1-0 in Kolkata for their fourth win in last five games. With their victory, Mumbai City FC moved from the seventh place to the fourth spot in the points table, accumulating 20 points from 12 games with five victories. This match also marked the third straight away game where the Marina Machans were unable to find the back of the net.

At the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, marksman Dimitrios Diamantakos (60th minute) was the only player on target for the home side as they maintained their mid-season rise under their new tactician Oscar Bruzon.

While the Red & Golds secured their fourth win in their last five matches in the competition, Jamshedpur FC, on the other hand, were inefficient in creating and finishing chances.

Jamshedpur FC were the team on the ascendency in the first 10 minutes of the second half but they lacked the final ball in the box.

In the 54th minute, Albino was called into action as Hector Yuste rose the highest from a corner to head it towards goal. The Spaniard made a good connection but not enough to beat the Jamshedpur FC custodian.

But East Bengal’s continued pressure eventually bore fruit in the 60th minute when Dimitrios broke the deadlock from Nandhakumar’s cross. Cleiton also played a big role in the buildup as Jamshedpur FC defenders were stranded ball-watching.

Earlier in Mumbai, the first quarter of the match saw both teams exert pressure on their opponents with some intricate movement. The game’s first chance fell to the hosts as Cleiton Silva, who found himself in space from a corner, stabbed the ball from close range. However, he was denied by an outstretched Albino Gomes.

A minute later, the Red and Golds recycled possession and Anwar Ali saw his long-range effort rattle the post before going out, catching the entire Jamshedpur FC backline off-guard.

Karelis capitalised on a loose ball in the eighth minute after Yoell van Nieff’s shot was partially deflected, calmly slotting it into the bottom right corner.

Six minutes later, Karelis set up Vikram Partap Singh for a chance, but the latter’s effort went wide.

Just before the 20th minute mark, Lukas Brambilla tried to pull one back for the Marina Machans, interlinking with Kiyan Nassiri and receiving the ball on the left side of the 18-yard box.

Brambilla’s shot was saved by Mumbai City FC goalkeeper TP Rehenesh.

Chennaiyin FC once again came close to equalising in the 34th minute but Brambilla’s shot was blocked by Mumbai defender Tiri.

The visitors ramped up the pressure after the break, with Daniel Chima Chukwu and Irfan Yadwad combining to create chances.

Yadwad’s diving header hit the crossbar in the 48th minute, while Rehenesh made critical saves to deny the Marina Machans and seal full three points.

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.

Spaniard Javi Hernandez struck a brace as Jamshedpur FC eked out a hard-fought 3-2 win over Mumbai City FC after falling a goal behind to secure their first home victory of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season on Saturday. Hernandez scored in the 44th and 50th minutes while Jordan Murray (36th minute) got the other goal for the home side at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. In the process, Hernandez became the third player in the ISL to score for five different clubs.

Nikolaos Karelis (18th) and Yoell van Nieff (77th) found the target for Mumbai City Mumbai City FC started the game on a dominating note. In the fifth minute, they got their first opportunity when Yoell van Nieff snatched the ball from Javi Hernandez and glanced an attempt from distance. His shot took a curl but went inches wide.

Three minutes later, Jamshedpur FC earned their first chance after a corner was headed down by Pratik Chaudhari onto the path of Javier Siverio who laid it down for Jordan Murray. The latter’s shot, however, was deflected out for a corner.

The corner by Imran Khan was met by Tiri, whose clearance almost cost Mumbai City FC a goal as the ball deflected off the crossbar.

The action intensified in the eighth minute when Thaer Krouma won a header against Stephen Eze. The ball was collected by Nikolaos Karelis, whose shot disrupted the calmness of the net, going past goalkeeper Albino Gomes.

A minute later, Karelis once again got a chance to score. He collected a cross inside the Jamshedpur FC penalty box and tried to go past Gomes, but the keeper succeeded in clearing it, only to see the ball fall on Lallianzuala Chhangte’s feet.

However, the winger’s feeble attempt was once again saved by Gomes and then cleared off by Eze.

In the 44th minute, Jamshedpur FC earned the lead after Javi’s free-kick caressed the back of the net. The set-piece which was taken by the midfielder from the right flank landed directly into the back of the net after some confusion and misjudgement from the Mumbai City FC defenders and Lachenpa.

Jamshedpur FC started the second half from where they left the first. They could have extended the lead in the 46th minute when Javi Hernandez chipped a ball onto Jordan Murray’s path. Murray was free on goal and glanced straight but Valpuia’s timely intervention averted the danger for the Islanders.

The very next minute, Stephen Eze could have scored his first goal of the season for the Men of Steel. Imran Khan confused and went past van Nieff to send in a delightful cross into the 18-yard-area. However, Eze’s header from the same was flickered away by Lachenpa.

Three minutes later, Jamshedpur FC’s efforts paid off as Seiminlen Doungel set it up for Javi for his second goal of the evening.

Doungel outwitted the Islanders’ defence and went inside the penalty box to send in a pitch-perfect cross to Hernandez’s feet. The Spaniard didn’t shy away from trying his luck and saw the ball land inside the framework, leaving a fully stretched Lachenpa devastated on the ground.

Mumbai City FC slowly started clawing back into the game. And finally, in the 77th minute, they found an answer.

Yoell van Nieff tried some dribbling dynamics just outside the Jamshedpur penalty area and lodged a curling effort on goal, which ultimately went past Albino Gomes to reduce the lead.

In the next minutes, Petr Kratky’s side kept on piling the pressure for an equaliser but Jamshedpur FC’s disciplined backline seemed too tough to breach.

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.

Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City, ISL: When And Where To Watch Live Streaming© X (Twitter)

File photo of Mohun Bagan Super Giants.

Defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and their archrivals East Bengal FC, the two finalists from the previous edition, have been drawn together in the same group as the group stage draw for the upcoming Durand Cup 2024 was unveiled on Thursday. The 24 teams from the ISL, I-League, international teams, and teams from the Armed Forces will fight it out in Asia’s oldest football tournament, scheduled to commence on July 27. Notably, international teams will also feature with Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army FC and Bangladesh Army Football Team, both returning from the previous edition.

This year, Jamshedpur and Shillong join Kokrajhar and Kolkata as host cities, with each hosting group stage fixtures. Kolkata, the main venue, will host three groups, while Jamshedpur, Shillong, and Kokrajhar will each host one group.

The tournament will follow a round-robin league format with knockout stages, culminating in the final at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. In total, 43 matches will be played and the top teams from each group, along with the two best second-placed teams, will advance to the knockout phase.

Here are the groups for Durand Cup 2024:

Group A (Kolkata): Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Indian Air Force FT, Downtown Heroes FC

Group B (Kolkata): Bengaluru FC, Inter Kashi FC, Indian Navy FT, Mohammedan SC

Group C (Kolkata): Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, Punjab FC, CISF Protectors FT

Group D (Jamshedpur): Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, Indian Army FT, Bangladesh Army FT

Group E (Kokrajhar): Odisha FC, NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC, BSF FT

Group F (Shillong): FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Tribhuvan Army FC

File image of Mohun Bagan players Anirudh Thapa and Jason Cummings.© X (Twitter)