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Mumbai City FC coasted to a comfortable 2-0 win over Bengaluru FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) fixture at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday, February 18.
Vikram Partap Singh was the hero for the Islanders as his twin goals - one in each half - were enough for his side to pocket the three points on offer.
With the win, Mumbai City moved up to the fourth position of the league table with 28 points while Bengaluru FC continue to languish in the 10th spot with a mere 15 points to their name.
The first half in Mumbai saw end-to-end action from both sides as Bengaluru FC looked to threaten the defending ISL Shield winners' goalpost. However, the Blues attackers failed to put the finishing touches on the creative balls their midfielders and wingers sent in.
Vikram Partap then broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when the entire Bengaluru FC defense missed a beat while expecting a penalty to go against them.
Lallianzuala Chhangte recycled the ball and swept in a cross that Vikram duly dispatched past an unsuspecting Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
Bengaluru FC attackers failed to live up to expectations
Bengaluru FC started the second half on the front foot and created plausible chances to sneak in an equalizer, but somehow faltered in the final third.
Indeed, the Blues had twice the number of shots in total than the Islanders but failed to put them on target. Of the 14 they took, only two troubled Mumbai City goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa as Sunil Chhetri and Oliver Drost were marked tightly by the Islanders' centre-back duo of Tiri and Rahul Bheke.
Mumbai City then doubled their lead just 13 minutes into the second half when Alberto Noguera set up Iker Guarrotxena on the right-hand side. The latter sent in a teasing looping ball towards the box, where Partap leaped highest and headed one into the near post past Gurpreet's flailing arms.
The Blues attempted to come back by bringing Javi Hernandez on but somehow, the Spanish magician seemed subdued and not his usual self.
Bengaluru FC right-back Nikhil Poojary, who moved south from Hyderabad FC in the winter transfer window, had a brilliant shot deflected by the goalpost in the first half and was critical in setting up his colleagues in the second.
However, he did not get any help from his wingers as he tried to tackle his former Hyderabad teammate Akash Mishra and prevent the latter from sending in his delectable crosses.
Bengaluru have a lot of problems to solve before they host struggling Hyderabad this coming Saturday, February 24. Mumbai City, meanwhile, will go full tilt trying to beat Chennaiyin FC in Chennai a day before.
