Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC announced themselves as the top two teams this season, finishing in first and second place on the league table, respectively. The Mariners registered 48 points from their 22 league matches, whereas the Islanders were just a point below them.
As expected, the encounters between the two powerhouses of Indian football in the Indian Super League (ISL) have been nothing short of magnificent occasions. Furthermore, the two teams had also locked horns in the Durand Cup 2023 quarter-finals.
With Mohun Bagan SG and Mumbai City FC ready to battle it out for the ISL Cup in the final on May 4, there is very little to set the teams apart.
Ahead of the much anticipated grand finale, let’s take a look at every encounter between the two teams in the 2023-24 season.
Mohun Bagan SG 3-1 Mumbai City FC, Durand Cup, August 27, 2023
Objectives:
Mohun Bagan SG: Jason Cummings 9′, Manvir Singh 30′, Anwar Ali 63′
Mumbai City FC: Jorge Pereyra Diaz 27′
Teams:
Mohun Bagan SG XI (3-2-3-2): Vishal Kaith, Anwar Ali, Hector Yuste, Subhasish Bose, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Ashique Kuruniyan, Manvir Singh, Hugo Boumous, Armando Sadiku, Jason Cummings
Mumbai City FC XI (3-4-2-1): Phurba Lachenpa, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Akash Mishra, Apuia, Yoell van Nieff, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh, Greg Stewart, Alberto Noguera, Jorge Pereyra Diaz
Mohun Bagan SG concluded the group stage in second place in Group A while Mumbai City FC topped Group B. With the two heavyweights clashing in the quarter-final, the fans were up for a treat.
In only the eighth minute of the match, Lachenpa’s desperate tackle on Cummings cost Mumbai City FC a penalty, which the Australian converted with ease, giving Mohun Bagan SG their lead. Right at the 27th-minute mark, Jorge Pereyra Diaz chested the ball into the net, making the scores level.
Within two minutes from the equalizer, Manvir Singh’s headers returned the Mariners their lead, this time refraining from conceding any further.
Anwar Ali scored the final goal of the night in the 63rd minute, ensuring Mohun Bagan SG their semi-final berth.
The Mariners went on to lift the Durand Cup with wins against FC Goa in the semi-final and East Bengal FC in the final.
Mumbai City FC 2-1 Mohun Bagan SG, ISL, December 20, 2023
Objectives:
Mumbai City FC: Greg Stewart 44′, Bipin Singh 73′
Mohun Bagan SG: Jason Cummings 25′
sent offs:
Mumbai City FC: Akash Mishra 13′, Greg Stewart 88′, Vikram Partap Singh 90+10′, Rahul Bheke 90+10′
Mohun Bagan SG: Asish Rai 54′, Liston Colaco 57′, Hector Yuste 90+10′
Teams:
Mumbai City FC XI (4-3-3): Phurba Lachenpa, Akash Mishra, Mehtab Singh, Rahul Bheke, Rostyn Griffiths, Apuia, Yoell van Nieff, Greg Stewart, Bipin Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Jorge Pereyra Diaz
Mohun Bagan SG XI (4-2-3-1): Vishal Kaith, Subhasish Bose, Brendan Hamill, Asish Rai, Hector Yuste, Deepak Tangri, Anirudh Thapa, Liston Colaco, Hugo Boumous, Manvir Singh, Jason Cummings
Leading up to the fixture, both Mohun Bagan SG and Mumbai City FC were unbeaten in the ISL 2023-24 season. Unfortunately for the Mariners, it was only Mumbai City FC who came out of the fixture still unbeaten.
Akash Mishra’s sending-off in the early stages of the match, for raising his knee on the back of Manvir Singh, did put the Islanders a step back as Jason Cummings fired Liston Colaco’s grounded cross into the net, giving the away team a 1- 0 leads.
With a minute of play left in the first half, Greg Stewart pulled the Islanders back into the game heading home Bipin Singh’s cross.
As the second half began, Asish Rai and Liston Colaco conceded red cards in succession, leaving the Green and Maroons with only nine players on the field.
The Islanders completed their comeback when Bipin Singh’s shot from right outside the box took a huge deflection off of Anirudh Thapa, with the ball finding the back of the net.
With two minutes left of regulation time, Greg Stewart received his marching order following a second yellow card for diving, making the remainder of the fixture a 9-on-9 match.
Mumbai City FC succeeded in finishing off the night with all three points, but the drama was not yet over.
Yuste, Vikram, and Bheke all got sent off after the final whistle for getting involved in a tussle, bringing the red card tally of the night to a record seven red cards.
Mohun Bagan SG 2-1 Mumbai City FC, ISL, April 15, 2024
Objectives:
Mohun Bagan SG: Liston Colaco 28′, Jason Cummings 80′
Mumbai City FC: Lallianzuala Chhangte 89′
sent offs:
Mohun Bagan SG: Brendan Hamill 90+1′
Teams:
Mohun Bagan SG XI (3-2-4-1): Vishal Kaith, Subhasish Bose, Hector Yuste, Anwar Ali, Joni Kauko, Abhishek Suryavanshi, Anirudh Thapa, Liston Colaco, Dimitri Petratos, Manvir Singh, Armando Sadiku
Mumbai City FC XI (4-3-3): Phurba Lachenpa, Akash Mishra, Rahul Bheke, Mehtab Singh, Tiri, Apuia, Alberto Noguera, Yoell van Nieff, Bipin Singh, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Lallianzuala Chhangte
The two heavyweights headed into the final league match of the ISL 2023-24 season with the League Shield at stake. Mohun Bagan SG were second on the league table with 45 points and needed a win in their last league match to lift their maiden ISL Shield. Mumbai City FC, on the other hand, were sitting atop the table with 47 points, and anything but a loss would have ensured them their third League Shield.
Although the match ended with the same scoreline as the reverse fixture, this time it was the Mariners who took the three points, lifting their maiden ISL Shield.
28 minutes into the match, Liston Colaco fired the home team in front with a brilliant shot from just inside the box.
In the 80th minute, Dimitri Petratos sent in a beautiful through ball for Jason Cummings, who initially struggled to control it, but then managed to get his hold over it and fired it past the keeper to double their lead.
The Islanders, although failed to turn things around, managed to get themselves a consolation goal through the feet of Lallianzuala Chhangte.
As the final whistle was blown, the Mariners concluded the match with a goal up, but a man down as Brendan Hamill was sent off in injury time.
Mohun Bagan SG and Mumbai City FC will lock horns in Kolkata in the grand finale of the ISL 2023-24 season on May 4, with the ISL Cup at stake.
Tags: recap encounters season
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