Mumbai City FC secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Mohammedan SC during their Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash held at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. This win marked Mumbai City FC's fourth victory of the season and highlighted the continued struggles of Mohammedan SC, who remain winless at home.
The atmosphere was tense as both teams entered the match with contrasting agendas. Mohammedan SC, still seeking their first home win, lined up against the reigning ISL champions, Mumbai City FC. With the latter sitting ninth on the table, they aimed to regain their form after a recent goalless match against Odisha FC. Coach Andrey Chernyshov's side, on the other hand, was eager to uplift their form after losing five out of six home matches this season.
From the kickoff, it was evident both teams were eager to make their mark. Mohammedan SC’s goalkeeper, Bhaskar Roy, faced early pressure as Mumbai City attempted to establish dominance. By the 15th minute, the visitors had their first clear chance due to a mistake from Roy, who misplayed the ball straight to Lallianzuala Chhangte, who, unfortunately, couldn't find the target.
Just past the half-hour mark, the match took a significant turn when Mohammed Irshad of Mohammedan SC received his second yellow card and was sent off, leaving his team to navigate the match with ten men. Coach Chernyshov later remarked, "It's very difficult to play with ten players. Then we made one mistake, and they used it," underlining the impact of the dismissal.
Despite the advantage, Mumbai City struggled to capitalize on their numerical strength until the second half. Re-emerging with renewed energy, they pushed to break through the Mohammedan SC defense. Their relentless pressure paid off when Vikram Partap Singh broke the deadlock just four minutes after the restart. Following some confusion outside the box, Singh seized upon Roy’s misjudged clearance, firing the ball accurately to the bottom left corner of the net at the 49th minute.
Although Mumbai City FC had taken the lead, they continued to press forward, showing no intent of settling for the single goal. Singh was again denied only moments later when his shot from close range was saved by Roy, maintaining the slim margin. Meanwhile, Mohammedan SC struggled to create meaningful opportunities, spending much of the game on the defensive.
Andrey Chernyshov praised his team's resilience post-match, stating, "I am very happy about my players. I want to tell them to thank you very much for this match because they fought, they ran, no one stopped, and they gave their all against this very experienced team." Despite the loss, the team remained focused on improving for their upcoming fixtures, particularly their next match against Kerala Blasters FC.
Meanwhile, Mumbai City FC coach Petr Kratky expressed confidence about his team's potential moving forward. "We have done a lot of good work this season, so we just need to take belief from it," he commented, emphasizing the importance of building momentum after this victory.
With this win, Mumbai City FC now looks to solidify their position as they build on this hard-fought victory. The result leaves Mohammedan SC at the bottom of the standings, with five points from 11 matches, as they continue to seek their first home victory during this challenging campaign.
