ISL 2018-19, Mumbai City FC 1-0 Bengaluru FC: 5 Talking Points

#3 Mumbai's counter-attacking prowess comes to the fore again

Modou Sougou was a constant threat to the Bengaluru

defence

Paulo Machado's goal was the Islanders' ninth goal from a counter-attack this season. When you look through their side, it is easy to see why they are so good on the break.

The pace of Modou Sougou and Arnold Issoko, the ability of Machado and Rafael Bastos to pick a pass is complemented by their ability to defend stoutly at the back.

The goal Machado scored was a thing of beauty. After a Bengaluru corner was cleared away from danger towards Bastos, Bengaluru were always going to be on the back-foot.

Once Bastos received the ball and drove forward with it, five other blues shirts were busting a gut to keep pace with him.

The release from Bastos towards Machado was perfectly timed, and from there on, it was all about the Mumbai skipper's intelligence and class on the ball.

With Issoko keeping him company on the left, Machado had a look towards his left while driving forward, then a look towards Gurpreet's bottom left corner, before slotting it to the goalkeeper's right.

It was the kind of goal that you'd never tire of seeing unless you're of a Bengaluru persuasion.

Sougou and Issoko, too, were constantly testing the last line of the Bengaluru defence, by playing right on the shoulder of the last man. While Sougou was caught offside six times, the one time he timed his run right, he forced Gurpreet into a superb save.

While Bengaluru's offside trap must be given credit, Mumbai's plan to gamble on making the runs off the shoulder of the last man was perfect, given that Bengaluru aren't exactly blessed with the quickest of players in defence.