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With their Hero Indian Super League campaign on life support, Mumbai City FC put in an inspired performance to beat Atletico de Kolkata at home 2-1 and take all three points. Kolkata were looking to ensure qualification with a win, but it was Mumbai, fighting for their lives, that were celebrating at the end of the match in front of their home fans at the D.Y. Patil Stadium. Goals from Lalrindika ‘Didika’ Ralte and Manuel Friedrich gave Peter Reid’s team their first win in seven games.
The changes continued for Mumbai with Didika, Nicolas Anelka and Jan Stohanzl coming in for Peter Costa, Asif Kottayil and Sushil Kumar Singh. Kolkata made two changes, Jakub Podany and Baljit Sahni replaced by Luis Garcia and Mohammad Rafi.
Mumbai City started brightly and were dominating
The visitors had the first opportunity when Borja Fernandez took a first-time shot on goal after receiving the cutback from Rafi. Mumbai though were playing with the vigour of a desperate team with the returns of Stohanzl and Anelka providing them with the much needed impetus. They led the attack index 68% to 32% in that opening phase.
That momentum was scuffled a bit though when their captain, Syed Rahim Nabi, went down in the 15th minute holding his hamstring and had to be stretchered off. The injury-plagued season wasn’t getting any better for the India international and he was replaced by Asif Kottayil.
Anelka, back from injury, was seeing a lot of the ball, and on 21 minutes had a shot from outside the 18-yard box which curled away from the goal. The Frenchman was also dropping deep to facilitate the game. Stohanzl took an attempt on goal as well, but his left-footed shot was weak and didn’t make any difference to the scoreline. The second phase too belonged to Mumbai.
With five minutes to go for half-time though, Mumbai got the breakthrough. Tiago Ribeiro made a good run down Kolkata’s left after being played through with a wonderful through ball from Deepak Mondal and for a change he looked up to find support in the box. His pass found Didika, who took one touch and unleashed a quick left-footed shot to ruffle the net and give the home side the lead.
A few minutes later, Kolkata tried to respond and after Anelka was dispossessed, Luis Garcia picked up the ball, looked ahead and played a through ball to Fikru Teferra. The Ethiopian forward was sandwiched between the two Mumbai centre-backs who managed to put enough pressure on him to offset his shot.
Another worrying moment emerged in stoppage time for the hosts in the first half when Anelka went down after a tangle with Kolkata’s Biswajit Saha. The Frenchman took his time to get up and it looked like Mumbai were going to lose a second player through injury.
Kolkata finally managed to get into the game in the second half
Anelka did come back in the second half but was looking discomfortable. Fikru threatened once again soon after the restart with a run into the box, but Mumbai’s Czech defender Pavel Cmovs was alert to the danger and put in a brilliant tackle to see off the danger.
Mumbai came close to doubling their lead when substitute Kottayil’s first-time right-footed shot clattered off the woodwork on 51 minutes. The second goal could have well and truly put the game beyond doubt as Kolkata were clutching at straws. Instead, they found a way back into the match eight minutes later. Fikru once again managed to get into a good position and made a darting run towards the box from the right flank. Didika brought him down with a rash challenge just inches outside the penalty box.
The resulting free-kick though was smartly taken by Garcia who instead of delivering it into the box, centred for Borja, who in turn made a quick pass into the feet of Sahni who was lurking just in front of goal. Sahni converted with ease and Kolkata had pulled level.
Mumbai coach Peter Reid finally decided that Anelka was no longer fit to continue and brought Subhash Singh on to replace him. The goal seemed to galvanize Kolkata and they were playing like a different team. Borja went close with a shot that skimmed just wide of Subrata Pal’s right post.
The game was now getting stretched and Mumbai needing a win almost found their second goal on 67 minutes. Tiago once again made a good run, this time down the left and passed it to Abhishek Yadav in a good position in front of goal. Yadav’s first touch though was terrible and the chance was gone before he knew it.
It was then Kolkata’s turn to raid again and off another free-kick, Josemi’s stinging effort was heading for the top corner before Paul made a brilliant save to push it onto the post.
The home side earned a free-kick on the 76th minute and vice-captain Manuel Friedrich ghosted in undetected to head Mumbai into the lead from Didika’s free-kick.
Mumbai held on to their lead in the dying stages to get three crucial points
Another free-kick five minutes later saw Yadav go close to getting another goal for Mumbai as Friedrich’s knock on went to the forward whose improvised header was saved by Apoula Edel. Garcia at the other end brought out another save from Paul with a pacy left foot shot from outside the box.
As a final throw of the dice, Antonio Habas brought Arnal Carbo on for Ofentse Nato, Arnal having scored in the opening fixture of the ISL between these two sides.
Eight minutes of added time were indicated by the fourth official that resulted in some nerves inside the D.Y. Patil Stadium. The game though stretched on for nine minutes and Arnal almost did what he did on opening night once again, putting the ball in the back of the net after some chaotic moments in the Mumbai box. The linesman came to Mumbai’s aid this time though, as he spotted that Arnal was in an offside position and raised his flag to bring an abrupt stop to Kolkata’s celebrations.
As the clock turned over to 100 minutes, the final whistle blew and after an exacting and at times chaotic game, Mumbai managed to hold on to keep their hopes alive with the win. They will now have to win their last game and hope the other results go in their favour to qualify for the knockout stages. For Kolkata, their rot in the second half of this ISL continued as they now go to the last day with a chance of bowing out of the competition despite leading the table for a long period initially.
Didika, of Mumbai, was given the Player of the Match award.
