Keep Great Stewart Fit at All Costs! Mohun Bagan vs Chennaiyin Match Review ISL 24-25

bySREYAS MUKHERJEE -

Keep Great Stewart Fit at All Costs! Mohun Bagan vs Chennaiyin Match Review ISL 24-25

jason greg
Courtesy: MB / ISL Media

Mariners all over the world breathed a heavy sigh of relief yesterday as the Kolkata giants scored a late winner to secure all 3 points against Chennaiyin, thus returning to the top of the league table.

The Green and Maroons welcomed Owen Coyle’s dangerous Chennaiyin side on 30th Nov, Saturday at the VYBK. This was a crucial tie for both the teams as Mohun Bagan needed to win this encounter to get back on top and keep the title race with Bengaluru even, while the Marina Machans were determined to snatch all three points to improve their position in the table and stay in contention for the playoffs.

The Mariners lined up with Kaith in goal with Biswas, Alberto, Aldred and Bose in defence. Tangri and Apuia played in a double pivot while Petratos acting as an attacking midfielder cum support striker. The attack featured Liston and Manvir in the wings with Maclaren leading from the front. Some fans were sceptical with the lineups in the beginning as big names like Sahal, Thapa, Ashique, Stewart were on the bench.

Chennaiyin lined up with Nawaz in goal; Desai, Edwards, Yumnam and Laldinpuia in defence; Hnamte, Elsinho, Shields in the midfield and Irfan, Farukh and Gil in attack.

First Half: Resilient Chennaiyin Frustrates Bagan

Mariners were on front foot from the very beginning of the game. The buildup play was on point and there was relentless pressure from both the flanks. The men from the South were restricted to their own half in the first few minutes.

But the Chennai defence did not crumble and absorbed all the pressure just like a sponge. The first good movement in the opponent half for the visitors came in the 12th minute when Connor Shields ran down the right flank and made a cut inside the box but there was no one their to put it away. 

The Machans just played an uno reverse on the Mariners and the Bagan defence was suddenly in the middle of a barrage of attacks from the likes of Yadwad, Choudhary and other which also resulted in 2 yellow cards in quick successions for Dippendu and Subhashis in the 23rd and 24th minute respectively.

The Mariners almost scored via Manvir in the 27th minute but a sharp clearance from Edwards saved the Machans.Liston tried a shot from distance in the 35th minute but Bikash made a crucial block to thwart the attempt. 

The Goan talisman tried another long ranger in the 38th minute and this time Nawaz pulled off a massive save and pushed the ball behind for a corner. The first half went by like this with both teams going back and forth at each other but to no avail.

Second Half: It all Takes is One Great Stewart

The 2nd period began with Mohun Bagan making a change as Dippendu made way for Ashish Rai. Bagan got a great chance in the 51st min with Alberto trying his luck at goal but it was no problem for Nawaz. 

Manvir and Liston were trying their best to feed the ball to Maclaren in the final 3rd but failed to do so. The hosts were running out of patience as the match went deep into regulation time. Molina brought in Sahal in the 64th minute for Tangri, Cummings and Ashique for Macca and Liston in in the 75th minute hoping for a goal.

But the decisive change came in the 85th minute when Stewart was brought in for Dimi. The Scot had an immediate impact against his ex boss’s team as he found a pass for Jason Cummings inside the box who absolutely buried it past Nawaz in the 86th minute.

Stewart even tried a few shots himself but was unlucky as the missed by very small margins, hitting the post. His introduction suddenly brought the game back to life and completely changed the dynamics of the match for Mohun Bagan. 

The defending shield champions currently sit on top of the table with 20 points from 9 matches, tied on points with Bengaluru who lost a day after, thus Bagan now have a game in hand too. The shield race is already heating up with all teams trying to better their performance.

Mohun Bagan will  play their next match away against NorthEast United on the 8th of December, which will be a very difficult encounter due to the suspensions of Subhasish Bose and Alberto Rodriguez. And with Bengaluru breathing on their necks, Molina’s men need to do whatever it takes to defeat the Highlanders. 

Follow MBFT on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Telegram, Whatsapp & Google News to stay updated with all the Mohun Bagan & Indian Football related News & Updates. Jai Hind Jai Bharat! Joy Mohun Bagan!
Tags:

SREYAS MUKHERJEE

HELLO GUYS,I AM SREYAS,A STUDENT,SPORTS LOVER AND A SCIENCE GEEK.I WRITE REGULAR ARTICLES AND BLOGS.HOPE THESE ARE WILL BE HELPFUL FOR YOU AND YOU FIND THESE INFORMATIVE.PLEASE SHARE YOUR OPINIONS IN THE COMMENTS.THANK YOU.

You might like

View all
Previous Post Next Post
Share to other apps
Copy Post Link