ISL 2022-2023: Mumbai City FC Hit Chennaiyin FC for Six at the Marina Arena

Visitors Mumbai City FC overturned a two goal deficit to triumph 6-2 over Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai.

Goals from Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Greg Stewart, Vinith Rai, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Alberto Noguera and Bipin Singh ensured Des Buckingham’s men routed Chennai in their own backyard.

The opening 10 minutes of the game whistled by as both teams attempted to get a foothold in the game on the wet blades of glass.

Prasanth ventured forward on the right but the move came to naught as he was thwarted by the challenge of Mandar Rao Desai.

In the 19th minute Petar Sliskovic sent the drenched fans in the stands into a frenzy as he headed the ball past MCFC custodian Phurba Lachenpa as Rahim Ali found the Croat right in the middle of the box after chesting down a cross from the left.

Mumbai tried to push forward with intent after falling behind, but Fallou was as solid at the heart of the Chennaiyin defence and the appreciation for the Senegalese stopper back grew louder with each move he destroyed.

Prasanth’s adventurous run down the right around the half hour mark was pulled back to Sangwan who played Sliskovic in the centre of the box.

But the big striker was nudged just off balance by the MCFC stopper back as his shot hit the wrong side of the net.

Abdenasser El Khayati put the home team two to the good as he put the ball into the back of the net with an instinctive finish from the right after his initial effort was blocked. Sliskovic did well to suplly the Dutchman with the ball after dribbling from the half way line.

The visitors reduced the arrears with a strike from Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 34th minute.

Three minutes of added time were signaled at the end of the first period and it proved crucial as Debjit Majumder was shown a yellow and Mumbai City FC were awarded a penalty for the Chennaiyin custodian came in hard and a bit late inside the box.

Greg Stewart, who set up MCFC’s opening goal made no mistake from the spot as he slotted the ball cooly down the left side of the net after Majumder went the wrong way.

The teams headed into the tunnel with the scores all level at 2 goals apiece to set up an exhilarating second period in which the home team intended to register their first home win of the season.

Des Buckingham made two changes at halftime as he replaced Mandar Desai and Lalengmawia Ralte with Vinith Rai and Vignesh Dakshinamurthy.

The changes paid off almost immediately as the visitors pulled ahead for the first time in the game they scored their third of the day at the 50th minute mark through Vinith Rai.

Majumder palmed away a Lallianzuala Chhangte effort after the Mumbai forward skipped past a defender inside the box before trying to curl one in with his left foot.

Mumbai went 2 up as Dakshinamurthy connected a left footed volley from outside the box to beat the CFC custodian.

Sajid Dhot and Vincy Baretto replaced Rahim Ali and Prasanth for the home team while Buckingham made one further change in the form of Alberto Noguera in place of Jorge Diaz. Mumbai City benefitted from the Brit’s third substitution of the night just as they did off the first two changes he made as Noguera repaid the manager’s faith by netting MCFC’s fifth goal of the night.

Mourtada Fall came in for Ahmed Jahouh in the 68th minute at a point when Mumbai were already cruising in the game.

CFC skipper Anirudh Thapa saw his tame header collected calmly by Lachenpa as the home team struggled to get back into the game. Brdaric decided to send in reinfircements in the form of Joby Justin and Suhail Pasha as the Indian pair replaced replaced Thapa and Khayati.

Joby breathed some life into the game as his forced a diving save from the MCFC keeper to keep out his thundering effort from way out, but it did not alter the scoreline.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, Edwin Sydeney replaced Ajith Kumar but Buckingham’s men added to Chennaiyin’s misery with a sixth goal in the first minute of added time after the regulation ninety through Bipin Singh.