Rahul Giri in Bhubaneswar
FC Goa booked their place in the Super Cup final with a commanding 3-1 win over Mohun Bagan SG, ending the Mariners’ campaign with an assertive and well-rounded performance.
Goa showed intent from the outset, dominating possession and stringing together fluent attacking moves. Mohun Bagan initially held firm, but eventually succumbed to the relentless pressure, particularly from set-pieces — a key weapon in Manolo Márquez’s tactical set-up.
Fielding a second-string line-up, Mohun Bagan didn’t lack quality, but inexperience was evident in all three goals they conceded.
In the 20th minute, Borja Herrera delivered a curling cross from the right following a short corner. Brison Fernandes met it with a precise header, handing Goa the opening goal.
Mohun Bagan responded swiftly, equalising just three minutes later. As in their previous match, Ashique Kuruniyan and Suhail Bhat combined effectively. Ashique surged down the left wing, beating Boris Singh for pace, before cutting the ball back into the box. Suhail timed his run perfectly, deceiving Odei Onaindia and slotting the ball home to bring the scores level.
In the 49th minute, Goa regained the lead through Iker Guarrotxena, who converted from the penalty spot after Dheeraj Singh brought him down inside the area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
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Just seven minutes later, Dheeraj was left helpless again. Borja struck directly from a corner kick — an Olympic goal — curling the ball into the far top corner to extend Goa’s lead to 3-1.
Goa nearly made it 4-1 but Guarrotxena missed a golden opportunity from close range following yet another excellent delivery from Borja.
After conceding twice in quick succession, Mohun Bagan struggled to respond. The goals appeared to drain their momentum entirely, and they failed to mount any meaningful comeback in the remainder of the game.
“We conceded both goals within 12 minutes, and the boys weren’t quite ready to bounce back. They’re a bit inexperienced, but I’m happy they still fought till the end,” said Mohun Bagan coach Bastab Roy in his post-match assessment.
Roy also backed Dheeraj despite his errors: “Dheeraj was great in the first game — he really saved us. I won’t judge him based on just one performance.”
Reflecting on the positives, Roy added, “We beat one of the best teams in the Super Cup, Kerala Blasters. Even today, Goa couldn’t break our defence from open play — all three goals came from set-pieces.”
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