A hat-trick from Andre Moritz and goals from Subash Singh and Johan Letzelter saw Mumbai FC return to winning ways
Agencies
Mumbai, October 18
Mumbai City FC put up a five star show as they ripped apart FC Pune City scoring five past them without reply. Andre Moritz led from the front, registering a hat-trick (12', 27', 71') while Subash Singh (37') and Johan Letzelter (85') were the others to join the party.
Both sides made changes in what was the first Maharashtra derby in the Indian Super League (ISL). Subash Singh and Andre Francisco Moritz started upfront for Mumbai. Meanwhile, injured captain Syed Rahim Nabi was replaced by Peter Costa.
Meanwhile, Pune benched Daniele Magliocchetti, Israil Gurung, Manish Maithani and Kwang Il Park. Pritam Kotal, Dudu, Mehrajuddin Wadoo and Andres Gonzalez made the cut in their place.Within the opening two minutes, David Trezeguet did well to turn his marker and was cynically taken out at the edge of the box by Pavel Cmovs who was issued a yellow card. The former Juventus star dusted himself off to take the freekick but he sent it over the crossbar.
With 12 minutes on the clock, Mumbai City FC scored their first goal in the ISL as they broke the deadlock in stunning fashion. A swift sweeping move on the counter-attack ended with Moritz cutting in from the right & finishing brilliantly inside the far post.
FC Pune City are still win less following two games while Ranbir Kapoor and his team have something to smile about after this masterclass in attack.
With quarter of an hour played, Dudu chased a ball over the top of defence and looked to be in on goal but Peter Costa made a vital intervention as he poked it away from him and behind for a corner.
Four minutes later, Ashutosh Mehta sent in a dangerous cross from the right but Dudu was brushed off by Manuel Friedrich. The Nigerian wanted a penalty but his pleas were waived away by the referee.
In the 22nd minute, David Trezeguet who was largely isolated, came to life. With the ball pinging around the Mumbai penalty area, the Frenchman attempted a bicycle kick but his acroatic effort hit the crossbar and was cleared.
In the 26th minute, Subash was at the heart of some good play by the home team that ended with a cross by Moritz being headed over by Nadong Bhutia at the far post.
However, from the following corner, Moritz bagged his second of the game as he got ahead of his marker to steer in Ralter's inswinging corner kick at the near post.
Mumbai kept pushing forward on the break as Subash worked the channels excellently. The forward was set free down the right on this occasion and cross found Ralte who took a touch before unleashing a left-footed drive that forced Belardi into a save. Friedrich's looping header then landed on the roof of the net from the resultant corner.
In the 37th minute, another counter-attack saw Subash put clean through by Stohanzl. The Indian forward slid the ball home with ease from a one-on-one with Belardi.
Three minutes later though, Subhash should have added a fourth when he intercepted a back pass and only had the keeper to beat again. This time however, he snatched at his shot a bit and it went just wide of the near post.
In the 55th minute Moritz, who was no doubt hunting for a hat-trick, found himself in space and within range. His strike definitely had Belardi scrambling but fizzed just wide of the target.
In the 62nd minute, Tiago broke forward from left-back before Stohanzl took over the move and played it wide. Bhutia then headed it on for Moritz who does an 'elastico' to get past the defender but no one is on hand to tap in his ball across the face of the goal.
Two minutes later Moritz drove forward and played in Stohanzl who turned and drew the foul. Moritz took the free-kick from 25 yards out but his effort hit the top of the wall.
In the 66th minute, the duo combined again as Moritz backheeled the ball into Stohanzl's path but the latter fired his shot well over the target distance.
The stadium errupted in the 68th minute as Fredrik Ljungberg came on for Stohanzl.
After good play down the left, Ralte played in Moritz in the 71st minute who cut back onto his left foot well before firing his shot past the keeper to score the ISL's first ever hat-trick.
In the 77th minute Ralte was put through by Ljungberg but the winger's effort sailed miles over the bar from a great position.
With four minutes of regulation time left, Mumbai rubbed salt into Pune's wounds by adding a fifth goal.
Bhutia did brilliantly to get past a defender down the right before pulling the ball back for Letzelter. The Frenchman left Belardi with no chance as he guided the ball into the top left corner to make it 5-0 to the hosts.
