The ISL 2024-25 season opener ended in a stalemate as Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC played out a 2-2 draw at Salt Lake Stadium on Friday. After taking a two-goal lead in the first half, Bagan conceded two goals in the second.
Jose Molina, as expected, went with a back-three, with Alberto Rodriguez leading the defence. However, there was only one foreigner in the defensive line, as the Bagan coach did not include Tom Aldred. Instead of Aldred, the Spaniard opted for skipper Subhasish Bose and youngster Dipendu Biswas.
Asish Rai was also in the starting XI but was positioned in an advanced role while attacking. When the Mariners needed to defend, Rai was seen dropping back, effectively turning it into a four-man defensive unit. Surprisingly, though, Mumbai started the match brighter, mounting several prominent attacks. It seemed they targeted Dipendu, as Bipin Singh was constantly making useful runs and delivering crosses into the box.
Against the run of play, Liston Colaco made a surge into the box and took a shot at goal. Mumbai goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa fumbled, and the ball deflected towards Tiri. Ultimately, the rebound resulted in an own goal by the defender, giving the home team the much-needed breakthrough. After conceding, the Islanders looked a bit shaky, with the Mariners continuing to apply pressure.
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As a result, in the 28th minute, former Mumbai City star Greg Stewart provided an assist with a header to Rodriguez, who scored on his ISL debut. Mumbai’s new signings, forward Nikolas Karelis and midfielder Jon Toral, showed glimpses of their capabilities, but it was not enough to lift the spirits of the Mumbai fans. Petr Kratky even substituted Toral with another new signing, Jeremy Manzorro, by the end of the half, which ended 2-0 in favour of Bagan.
The second half began with rain pouring down. Approximately 40,000 fans were in the stands, with ‘Mohun Bagan’ chants echoing to lift the players’ spirits. However, in the 70th minute, the visitors pulled one back, courtesy of Tiri. Subhasish and Tiri were competing for the ball in the box after a quick corner, and eventually, Tiri managed to slot the ball home.
Anirudh Thapa and Sahal Abdul Samad came on for Abhishek Suryavanshi and Colaco respectively. In the 80th minute, it was a disappointing end to the night for Rodriguez, who went down with cramps and was eventually replaced by Aldred. For Mumbai, the substitutions had an impact. First, Noufal PN was impressive with his pacy, running down the flank and cutting ins into the box, duelling with Bagan defenders.
Then, Syrian defender Thaer Krouma scored the equaliser in the 90th minute, breaking the hearts of the Mariners. It was a simple tap-in, assisted by Noufal. Krouma went for Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous ‘SIU’ celebration, silencing the crowd as the first game of the season ended in a 2-2 draw. Mariners’ fans were left heartbroken.
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