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Mumbai City FC clinched the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) Shield with a 2-0 victory over ATK Mohun Bagan on Sunday. With an AFC Champions League (ACL) slot on the line, Mumbai City FC put in a clinical display, courtesy of goals from Mourtada Fall and Bartholomew Ogbeche.
ATK Mohun Bagan came into the game with a three-point advantage over Mumbai City FC and only needed a point to clinch the top spot. Mumbai City FC and Sergio Lobera had to make sure they gained enough confidence from the thumping 6-1 win over Odisha FC in the last fixture to win this game.
The intent was there from Mumbai City FC from the very whistle as Mandar Rao Dessai delivered a superb cross into the middle. However, Pranjal Bhumij headed it wide from close range.
ATK Mohun Bagan entered the scene soon enough through Roy Krishna. The Fijian released a strong shot from an acute angle, but Amrinder Singh pushed it away.
The Islanders took an early lead in the 7th minute as Mourtada Fall headed the ball into the net from a cracking Ahmed Jahouh free-kick. The game got scrappy for a while as both teams committed a number of fouls.
ATK Mohun Bagan suffered a big blow as Sandesh Jhingan was subbed in the 19th minute due to an injury.
The Mariners slowly came into the game through some set-pieces. But the Mumbai City FC defense blocked Marcelinho’s free-kick, before David Williams saw his corner cleared quite easily.
Just before the cooling break, Jahouh pinged a brilliant long ball for Pranjal, but he cut in and struck the ball just over the post. Mumbai City FC took an impressive 2-0 lead as Bartholomew Ogbeche got on the scoresheet in the 37th minute.
It was yet again a set-piece which created the opportunity as Hernan Santana pinged the cross-bar with a fierce strike. The ball rebounded and fell kindly for Ogbeche, who headed it into an empty net.
They came close to another goal in stoppage time when Santana struck a shot on the turn that went just wide of the target.
It was Mumbai City FC again who started the second-half on the front-foot. Jahouh’s corner-kick was half-cleared as the ball fell for Santana, but his strike went wide of the target.
The game turned end-to-end as Arindam punched away a cross from Bipin Singh, while Krishna and Manvir combined to earn a corner for ATK Mohun Bagan.
Mumbai City FC burst ahead on a counter-attacking move with Ogbeche finding Pranjal, but the youngster's cross was cleared away. Mandar manufactured a cross after a throw-in, but his amazing delivery was headed just wide by Ogbeche.
ATK Mohun Bagan almost reduced the deficit by half when Prabir came up with a stinging long shot, but his strike deflected off the wood-work.
ATK Mohun Bagan continued to pile on the pressure with David Williams testing Amrinder from distance, but the goal-keeper pushed it away for a corner. Carl McHugh headed the ball high following an inswinging free-kick from Edu Garcia.
There was a flurry of shots in the 84th minute from the likes of Manvir Singh, Garcia and Pritam Kotal for ATK Mohun Bagan. Manvir and Garcia saw their shots blocked, while Kotal’s strike was deflected for a corner-kick. The Islanders were kept on their toes in stoppage time too, when Manvir Singh directed a header towards Krishna.
However, Fall was there with a fantastic headed clearance although the linesman raised his flag for off-side. In the end, a jubiliant Mumbai City FC closed out a 2-0 victory over ATK Mohun Bagan to celebrate a maiden Asian Champions League berth.
Who was the Hero of the Match?
Mumbai City FC centre-back Mourtada Fall bagged the 'Hero of the Match’ award. He put in a stellar shift at both ends of the pitch to help Mumbai City FC clinch the top spot in the points table.
While the Senegalese centre-back did open the scoring with a delicate header, he had a bigger presence defensively against ATK Mohun Bagan. Fall came up with eight clearances, three interceptions and two tackles, while also winning most of his individual duels.
