In a high-voltage Semi-Final clash, Mohun Bagan made an epic comeback from one goal down and entered the final of the Durand Cup in style where they will meet their arch-rival Emami East Bengal.
After an energetic performance against Mumbai City FC, Mohun Bagan came into the game with a lot of confidence. Coach Juan Ferrando made two changes for this match where Asish Rai and Dimi Petratos replaced Manvir Singh and Armando Sadiku.
From the initial minutes, FC Goa created immense pressure on the Bagan defense. After soaking the initial pressure from the opponents, Mohun Bagan seemed to be changing their gear and putting more players upfront. In the 16th minute, the Mariners had a chance to go ahead when Petratos took a shot on the target but Dheeraj Singh was equal to the task.
In the 23rd minute, FC Goa surprisingly took the lead when Hugo Boumous uncharacteristically passed the ball to on-rushing Noah Sadaoui, and Noah put the ball into the net with an inch-perfect finish into the bottom left corner. After an unfortunate goal, Mohun Bagan players showed immense urgency and put pressure on FC Goa's defense. Captain Odei and Sandesh Jhingan held their defense strong. But their lead did not last long and Mohun Bagan came back on level just before half-time. Ashique Kuruniyan ran straight into the box after picking up a pass from Sahal Abdul Samad and he was brought down by a poor tackle from Jay Gupta leading to a penalty for the Mariners. Jason Cumming scored from the spot with a cool-headed finish to cancel out Noah Sadaoui's goal. Both teams headed into the tunnel with an even scoreline on the board.
FC Goa started the second half aggressively with Jay Gupta and Carl McHugh taking two stunning long-range shots and forcing Vishal Kaith for some good saves. As the game went on Mohun Bagan's coach tried to attack with two strikers upfront and subbed in Armando Sadiku for Hugo Boumous.
In the 60th minute, Sandesh Jhingan failed to clear a long ball from Petratos, and it fell into the feet of Sadiku. Sadiku wasted no time and took a shot from a distance to put the ball into the net. His curling effort went past Dheeraj Singh and found the right place to secure the second goal for the Albanian hero in Green and Maroon.
After scoring the second goal, Mohun Bagan defended deep for the rest of the match and tried to give some tough time to Goa's defense through quick counters. Just before regulation time, Sahal Abdul Samad had a golden opportunity to kill the game off but he missed an easy chance from inside the box.
In the additional minutes, relentless attacks from FC Goa put the Mariners under immense pressure. Jay Gupta rose high and headed an areal ball towards the goal but Vishal Kaith saved that with his cat-like reflex. Mohun Bagan somehow held their defense firm in that eight minutes of additional time and managed a narrow win over FC Goa.
Now, Mohun Bagan is set to lock horns with their biggest rival Emami East Bengal in the Durand Cup final for their 17th Durand Cup title.
Our Match Ratings :
1. Vishal 8
2. Ashish 7
3. Anwar 8
4. Hector 8
5. Subhashish 6
6. Ashique 6
7. Anirudh 7
8. Sahal 7
9. Hugo 6
10. Dimi 7
11. Cummings 7
12. Sadiku 7
13. Hamill 6
14. Manvir 6
15. Liston 6
