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Coming into the game, Phurba Lachenpa made a return between the posts for the Islanders while the defensive trio of Skipper Rahul Bheke, Rostyn Griffiths, and Mehtab Singh formed a formidable backline. Apuia and Vinit Rai orchestrated the midfield while the wings were expertly managed by the dynamic duo of Akash Mishra and Vikram Singh. The attacking trident, consisting of Greg Stewart, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, and Nasser El Khayati, showcased their prowess, creating havoc for the Bengaluru defense.
The early moments of the game saw Bengaluru FC testing Lachenpa with a couple of shots on target. Javi Hernández and Roshan Singh attempted to break the deadlock but were thwarted by Mumbai’s vigilant goalkeeper.
However, it was Mumbai City that drew first blood in the 11th minute. Stewart, in his usual orchestrative style, got into the Bengaluru FC box from the right as Pereyra Diaz drew away the centreback towards him, Stewart found an unmarked El Khayati with a perfectly weighted cutback in the middle of the box. El Khayati fresh from scoring the goal in the alst game, slotted the ball past the Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to break the deadlock and give Mumbai an early 1-0 lead.
Few minutes later, another attack from Islanders saw Greg Stewart find Apuia on the right side of the box, the latter’s shot on target is saved by Gurpreet in the bottom left corner.
Bengaluru FC responded immediately with an attack of their own, the initial Mumbai City clearance fell for Javi Hernández just outside the box, the midfielder’s left footed curling shot looked destined to find the top left corner only to be denied by an acrobatic save from Mumbai Custodian as he tipped the ball over the bar.
At the other end, Mumbai City’s offensive dominance continued, and in the 30th minute, they doubled their lead. Vikram Singh’s relentless pursuit of the ball won a crucial corner. Stewart’s delivery into the box was initially cleared, but the ball fell to Mishra outside the box. The young full-back unleashed a powerful right-footed shot, leaving the Bengaluru FC custodian with no chance, and Mumbai extended their lead to 2-0.
Despite Bengaluru FC’s attempts to regain composure, Mumbai City remained in control. The attacking trident of Stewart, El Khayati, and Diaz showcased intricate passing and movement, keeping the Bengaluru defense under continuous pressure. However, Right after the break, El Khayati went down into the box but the penalty shout for Mumbai was waved off by the referee.
Minutes later, Stewart found El Khayati with another delightful ball into the box however, the latter’s header is saved by the keeper. Meanwhile at the other end, Curtis Main does well to win the ball on the right hand side before cutting it back to the edge of the box where Chhetri’s first time shot is punched away by an alert Phurba Lachenpa
Minutes later, Javi tries to find Harsh on the right, but Mehtab intercepts it just in time, however a lurking Sunil Chhetri latches on a loose ball before attempting a shot from outside the box, only to hit it wide of the target.
The second half witnessed Mumbai City FC continuing their offensive onslaught. In the 57th minute, Vikram Singh’s precise delivery to the far post found Stewart whose volley cutback hit Bengaluru FC defenders hand resulting in a penalty for Mumbai. Jorge Pereyra Diaz stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted the ball into the left corner sending Gurpreet the wrong way, and extending Mumbai’s lead to 3-0.
Around the hour mark, Substitute Chhangte released Akash Mishta through on goal but the latter was fouled in the Bengaluru FC penalty area by 19 year old Shivaldo Singh. Lallianzuala Chhangte confidently stepped up and converted the spot-kick with a clinical left-footed shot, putting Mumbai City in a commanding position with a 4-0 lead.
Despite the scoreline, Bengaluru FC pressed for a response, but Mumbai City’s defence, led by the exceptional Lachenpa, stood firm. A late surge from Bengaluru in the final minutes was met with crucial interventions from Mumbai City’s defensive unit, ensuring that the Islanders secured a resounding victory.
As the final whistle blew, Mumbai City FC celebrated a convincing 4-0 win over Bengaluru FC. This commanding performance propelled Mumbai to the fourth position in the league table, accumulating 14 points from six games. The Islanders will now look to maintain their momentum as they shift their focus to the next game against league leaders FC Goa to be played four days later on December 12.
#MumbaiCity FC are back in the #ISL in style with a 4-0 away win at #BengaluruFC #IndianFootball
— Arunava Chaudhuri | arunfoot (@Arunfoot) December 8, 2023
