- BENGALURU — Among
the last teams to secure their play-offs spot, Mumbai City FC went down to
Bengaluru FC 5-0 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Sree
Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday night to qualify for the semifinals. The Blues have
set up a last-four fixture with FC Goa now, whereas the Islanders’ season wraps
up with this defeat.
-
- Mumbai City FC held 59.5% of the possession but were
overwhelmed by the home side’s offensive efficiency, with the Gerard
Zaragoza-coached team converting five out of their six on-target shots into
goals.
Also read: Indian Super League 2024-25 playoff dates announced
-
- The Blues made early inroads through Ryan Williams in the
ninth minute, as the attacker laid in a low cross inside the Mumbai City FC
box. Thaer Krouma could not control the pace put behind the pass though,
leading to a disarrayed interception that was met by Suresh Singh Wangjam and
drilled into the bottom right corner to open the scoring for the home side.
-
- The visitors had a chance to equalise 13 minutes later, as
Brandon Fernandes stepped up on a corner kick and served in a probing delivery
for Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Nathan Rodrigues. The
latter met the cross perfectly but nodded it off-target on his left side.
-
- The situation became complicated for the Islanders when
Williams earned a spot-kick before the half-time break, as he was brought down
in the penalty area by Hmingthanmawia Ralte. Edgar Mendez converted the
opportunity with impeccable ease, depositing the ball into the centre of the
goal in the 42nd minute to double the Blues’ lead.
-
- Bengaluru FC continued the onslaught in the second essay of
the game, as they kept capitalising on the opportunities they made, and were on
the offensive despite having a two-goal cushion.
-
- Suresh pressed proactively to win the ball back near the
halfway mark in the 62nd minute and pierced open Mumbai City FC’s high
defensive line with a slick pass that resulted in Williams receiving it on the
right side and slotting into the bottom left corner of the net past Phurba
Lachenpa.
-
- Sunil Chhetri joined the scoring spree in the 76th minute
with a long-distance stunner that caught the Islanders aback. As the Islanders
pushed numbers ahead to cut the deficit, they ended up conceding ample space at
the back, and Jorge Pereyra Diaz spotted and served Chhetri a straightforward
pass that the striker shot from outside of the box to the high centre of the
goal with exceptional accuracy.
