Mohun Bagan defeats NEUFC in Penalties | Durand Cup SF Review

byAnik Nandi -

Mariners' Hawk hunts down the Wolf Pack!

Mohun Bagan defeated JFC in the Quarter Finals in a nail-biting sudden death penalties. On the other side, NorthEast United dominated Shillong Lajong FC with a 5-2 scoreline. The Group-A toppers travelled to Shillong to face the Highlanders in the Durand Cup Semi-Finals.


~: The Starting Lineup :~

Dejan Drazic didn't travel with the team to Shillong. Kiyan was his replacement on the right wing and Samir replaced Anirudh Thapa in the midfield.

~: How the Match Unfolded :~

The soaking wet field and light rain welcomed the kickoff. Mariners chose to play the ball aerially, adapting to the weather conditions that made the ball difficult to be played on the ground. Kiyan delivered two good crosses into the box but nothing came of it.

Liston pressed even in on this pitch, supported Captain Bose to deal with Jithin and posed trouble in the attacking third by combining with Sahal and Manvir. Gurmeet did an excellent job defending but often rushing out of his box to collect the box or punch it out. He even fueled counter attacks with long throws and instant aerial kicks.

In the 23rd minute, Liston's freekick from the right wing had plenty of power and finesse but Gurmeet got his strong hands behind the ball. Samir did well to control the midfield and keep possession. NEUFC was forced to sub out Moyano early in the 26th Minute which led to complete surrender of their midfield control to Samir and Apuia. Mayakkannan shifted to a pressing CDM role which he did well to dispossess a couple of times in the match.

Right before Half Time, Sahal almost caught Gurmeet off-guard with a long ranger attempt from the midfield white line. The ball would have kissed the net, had Gurmeet not react quickly to make the save.



The rain stopped and the pitch quality improved by quite a margin which allowed Mohun Bagan to play their natural game. NEUFC kept the pressure up, using counter attacks as their main weapon. Abdul Rabeeh, Jithin and Ethyan sent in many crosses for Alaaeddine but Tekcham and Bheke were exceptional to restrict the talented striker.

At 50', Ajaraie gets a through ball and he was sprinting towards the goal. Veteran Rahul Bheke committed for the perfect sliding tackle from behind, to dispossess him at the right moment and deny the 1-on-1 scoring attempt to the Moroccan striker.

At 71', Miguel Ferriera Damasceno aka 'Tublu' replaced Samir to mark his debut in Mohun Bagan colours. He made positive runs in the attacking half. Despite being fouled, he focused on keeping the possession and building the play.

At 79', Manvir was replaced by Lallianzuala Chhangte. We saw glimpses of greatness of the pitch in Green-and-Maroon colours and it was a wonderful debut for the Mizo Flash.

Captain of NEUFC, Redeem Tlang, caught the eyes of the spectators for his commendable work rate and versatile presence in every area of the pitch. Whenever the Highlanders needed someone, he answered!

Final whistle blew to signal the next course of action that decides it all: PENALTIES!
NEUFC won the toss and chose to shoot first.

Ninkovic and Rahul Bheke scored comfortably as the keeper dove in the opposite direction.
NEUFC ✅ MB ✅

Alaaeddine took a terrible penalty and Vishal got his touch on it but couldn't prevent the ball from crossing the white line. On the other hand, Subhasish Bose slotted the ball in the bottom left corner as Gurmeet dove on the right.
NEUFC ✅✅ MB ✅✅

Ethyan scored in the 3rd penalty. When Liston took the shot with a skip like 'Jorginho', Gurmeet dove in the right direction and even got one hand on the ball but it had enough power to go through.
NEUFC ✅✅✅ MB ✅✅✅

Robin walked up and placed it on the far right. It was quite accurate but not enough to get past Vishal Kaith. The Keeper dove at full length and got both hands on the ball to make the save. Maclaren walked up next and placed it with immense power into the top right corner. Gurmeet dove but the ball already passed his body.
NEUFC ✅✅✅❌ MB ✅✅✅✅

Parthib Gogoi came up next to take the 5th Penalty. He shoots on the right and Vishal dives to get his hand on it. One hand is enough and the save is made! NEUFC ✅✅✅❌❌ MB ✅✅✅✅

Mohun Bagan won the Durand Cup Semi-Finals in 4-3 Penalties. Vishal was the main custodian who made the difference! From 2024 Durand Cup Final to 2026 Durand Cup Semi-Final, revenge is a dish best served cold!


Liston Colaco was given the Player of the Match award for his workrate on the wet pitch, interceptions, defensive contributions and for creating many attacking chances. Still, Vishal Kaith gets a special mention for making two incredible saves in the penalties!

~: What's Next? :~

Mohun Bagan have advanced to the Durand Cup Finals to face their arch rivals, EBFC. The Derby Final will take place on 23rd August (Sunday) at VYBK at 5 PM.

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!

Author - Anik Nandi Anik Nandi
Writer, Journalist and Editorial Head at MBFT
Tags:

You might like

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