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An early goal from Rafael Bastos was enough to ensure a 1-0 victory for Mumbai City FC over FC Goa in the second leg of the ISL Semifinal. Sergio Lobera's men had this tie wrapped up in the first leg at the Mumbai Football Arena with a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Mumbai City FC. The Gaurs will now go on to face Bengaluru FC in the big final on the 17th of March.
Despite the one-sided first leg, Jorge Costa's men put in a great fight and should have won the game by a few more goals, and would have had they been more clinical in front of the goal.
On the other hand, the hosts were cautious about their play and slowed down their intensity to see out the match unscathed.
Even though the visitors tried to step on the accelerator, FC Goa were stubborn with their approach and stopped playing football at times by just rolling the ball to the next player. It would have been a frustrating game for Mumbai without the ball, but they paid the price for the heavy damage which was done in the first leg.
In this article, we shall look at five talking points from the second leg between FC Goa and Mumbai City FC at Fatorda Stadium.
#1 Goa looked uncharacteristically sloppy until Ahmed Jahouh's substitution
At the early stages of the game, FC Goa were giving away possession cheaply and paid the price for it when Rafael Bastos gave the lead for Mumbai City in the sixth minute through a counter attack. Lobera's side were struggling to cope up with the likes of Raynier Fernandes in midfield and Arnold Issoko on the right wing.
There were plenty of chances for the visitors, but they failed to take full toll of it and get a slight grip on the tie. Ahmed Jahouh and Lenny Rodrigues were not in full flow. The Moroccan International, who has been one of the best players in the Indian Super League season, was withdrawn in the 40th minute.
The defensive midfielder was unhappy and headed straight into the tunnel by expressing his disappointment to his manager. On the other hand, Lobera was clear that he was not having any of that and told him to sit on the bench. After the game, both the manager and player looked to have settled out the problem and the 30-year-old will be set to start in the finals against Bengaluru FC.
#2 Modou Sougou was a relentless headache to Goa's defence
The Senegalese International Modou Sougou, who was one of the best performers for Mumbai City FC this campaign, carried on his form to the second leg of the semifinals. It was a tough nut to crack, but he was constantly giving headaches to the defenders by running behind them.
He was coming up against his compatriot Mourtada Fall, but he decided to attack the left hand side of the defence which consisted of Carlos Pena and Mandar Rao Desai. The first goal came when the right-back was high up the pitch which enabled Issoko to pass the ball to Rafael Bastos who found the back of the net. That pass was made possible only by Sougou's movement to the left which dragged defenders towards him, and left Bastos in space.
Opponent skipper Mandar was caught on the break on several occasions, but the failure to produce a good delivery in the final third was the reason Mumbai failed to find the back of the net in the second half.
#3 Jackichand looked lively, Corominas was not in the game
FC Goa did not try to play their typical brand of intense attacking football until Sergio Lobera decided to take out Ahmed Jahouh for his poor display in the second leg. After the half-hour mark, the hosts had plenty of possession, but they were not able to make the most of it as they faltered in the forward line which did not work hard like every other game.
Jackichand Singh worked hard through the right wing, but he did not cooperation from other players surrounding him. The Spaniard Ferran Corominas, who has been in great touch recently, was too slow in the decision making.
There was not any particular moment which stood out from FC Goa's attack, but Jackichand looked the brightest on the pitch for them and the hosts could have won their game had the other attackers including Corominas and Brandon Fernandes made themselves available for most of the game.
#4 Mourtada Fall singlehandedly reduced the deficit for Goa
Mourtada Fall, who has been blowing hot and cold for FC Goa this campaign, was the standout player on the pitch against Mumbai City FC. The Senegalese defender was voted as the Man of the match for his scintillating display which ensured the visitors were unable to cut down the massive deficit they came into the game with.
Fall made 12 clearances and three interceptions throughout the game. He was a rock at the back by winning duels for fun and nullified the threat possessed by Jorge Costa's men. Despite facing the likes of Modou Sougou, Arnold Issoko, and Raphael Bastos, the Goa defender showed enough composure to get things done.
The backline looked shaky, but Mourtada Fall rose up to the occasions and secure the qualification to the next round. His defensive vital contribution and two goals in the first leg proves that he is a big game player.
#5 Mumbai's midfield looked dominant
Jorge Costa lined up a midfield trio of Milan Singh, Paulo Machado, and Raynier Fernandes which controlled for most parts of the game. It was a tough challenge to face the likes of Ahmed Jahouh and Lenny Rodriguez, but they succeeded by doing the defensive and offensive job without any muddle.
During the first, Goa midfielder Ahmed Jahouh started the game poorly and lasted just forty minutes on the pitch. He was quickly replaced by Edu Bedia who also lacked imagination to break down this midfield.
Paulo, Milan, and Raynier might not be one of the best combinations in the league, but their outstanding performance against the best midfield department shows their real capability. They were creative in their game and did enough to keep the ball moving quickly. Jorge Costa will happy with the intention and performance showed by Mumbai City FC after totally getting dismantled in the first leg at Mumbai.
