Rahul Giri in Bhubaneswar
Mohun Bagan registered a statement win against Kerala Blasters, defeating the Yellow Brigade 2-1 to book their place in the semi-final of the Super Cup.
The Mariners fielded only one foreigner, the side comprising mainly players who were reserves during the ISL season. The aim was to provide exposure to those who hadn’t received much game time, as well as to offer big-stage experience to players from the reserve side. That objective was well and truly achieved.
Head coach Bastob Roy expressed his satisfaction after the game, glad to have had another opportunity to give his players a chance on the big stage. “The most important thing for us is that we get another match against a good opponent. Our purpose has been served,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters fielded a full-strength team, but Mohun Bagan justified the claim made by several ISL coaches and experts — that even their second team could beat any ISL side.
Fresh from winning the ISL Shield and Trophy double, Mohun Bagan’s hunger for yet another title showed no signs of dying.
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🚨 Mohun Bagan advanced to the Quarter Final with a 2-1 win over Kerala Blasters. #MohunBagan #keralablasters #SuperCup pic.twitter.com/xpmRUMLNow
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Sahal Abdul Samad produced a moment of brilliance to open the scoring. In the 22nd minute, he turned past his marker inside the six-yard box after receiving a low cross from Salahuddin Adnan and cleverly lifted the ball over Sachin Suresh to give Mohun Bagan the lead.
Kerala Blasters responded with intent, registering their first shot on target in the 29th minute when Noah Sadaoui attempted a long-range effort, but it was easily collected by Dheeraj Singh.
Kerala introduced Kwame Peprah in place of Mohammed Aimen to bolster their attack. However, it was Mohun Bagan who struck again, with Suhail Bhat calmly slotting home a precise cutback from Ashique Kuruniyan.
Despite Kerala’s best efforts to fight back, they couldn’t make the most of their chances. Jesus Jimenez missed three opportunities that could have changed the outcome. His most glaring miss came in the 86th minute, when he failed to convert an open chance, summing up his night.
Kerala eventually pulled one back through Sreekuttan MS, who slotted past Dheeraj. However, Mohun Bagan almost restored their two-goal cushion when Glan Martins’ strike from a rebound rattled the woodwork.
🚨 FC Goa secure their place in the Semi final after a dramatic 2-1 win over Punjab FC.
A blockbuster clash awaits in the semi final as they face Mohun Bagan. pic.twitter.com/2wEjd676hg
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) April 26, 2025
After the match, Mohun Bagan’s head coach acknowledged the performance of his players, especially praising how the seniors guided the juniors. “The senior players really helped the juniors very well. Our goalkeeper and defenders also did well,” said Roy.
Among the young talents, Salahuddin stood out with his flair and attacking runs down the flanks. However, Roy urged caution when discussing his prospects.
“Don’t compare the ISL team with this team. Liston (Colaco) and Manvir (Singh)are different; Salahuddin is different. Hopefully, in the near future, we will promote more players into the senior team,” he stated.
Mohun Bagan will face FC Goa in the semi-final, after Goa secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Punjab FC in the other quarter-final later in the day.
Pulga Vidal had given Punjab the lead, but Borja Herrera equalised for FC Goa in the 89th minute. Within three minutes, Mohammed Yasir netted a brilliant winner from the edge of the box which deflected off a defender to seal the comeback.
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