Odisha FC produced a stunning 4-2 win over holders and leaders Mumbai City FC in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 match in Margao, Goa on Monday. (More Football News)
The result leaves Des Buckingham’s defending champions winless in three games. They still sit at the top of the table with 16 points from nine matches with five wins, one draw and three defeats. But there's very little cushion at the top of the table with other teams breathing down their necks.
Victory for Kiko Ramirez’s men means that only three points Odisha FC from the league leaders despite being in seventh place on ISL the table.
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The winners of ATK Mohun Bagan vs Hyderabad FC clash on Wednesday will go top of the table. Hyderabad are second with 15 points from eight matches (four wins, three draws and one defeat), while ATKMB are fourth with 14 points from eight matches (four wins, two draws and two defeats)
The match at Tilak Maidan Stadium witnessed a scintillating second-half comeback from underdogs Odisha with three goals coming in the last 20 minutes.
Aridai Cabrera scored in the 4th minute against the run of play to give Odisha an early lead, but Ahmed Jahouh (11’) quickly brought the game on level terms with a superb finish.
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Igor Angulo (38’) then headed Mumbai into the lead before Jerry Mawihmingthanga (70’, 77’) scored a memorable brace to hand the lead back to the Kalinga Warriors.
Jonathas (89’) put the result beyond any doubt by scoring the fourth.
The match began at a rapid pace as Odisha FC scored an early goal. Mumbai City FC’s Mourtada Fall gave the ball away with an unforced error in his own half which led to Aridai Cabrera cutting inside from the left flank and unleashing a curler towards the far post.
Mumbai goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz got both hands on the ball and yet could not prevent the ball from rolling inside the net.
A few minutes later, Jahouh found the back of the net with a sensational curling shot from almost 25-yards out. The midfielder was fed by Cassio Gabriel with a perfectly weighted pass for the equaliser.
Raynier Fernandes had a great opportunity to send Mumbai into the lead at the half-hour mark but the midfielder miscued his header which went wide. However, it was Angulo who finally gave Islanders the lead with a precise header from a Jahouh free-kick.
The second half also started on a fiery note as OFC began on the front foot. Moments after the hour mark, Sahil Tanwar missed an easy header to score the equaliser from 12-yards away after finding himself unmarked inside the box.
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Brazilian Ygor Catatau looked to have scored a goal from the bench but the Mumbai forward was adjudged to be in an offside position.
Within seconds on the other end, Mawihmingthanga scored his first goal of the season with a diving header at the far post.
The winger then proceeded to score OFC’s third and stunned the league leaders with a powerful drive that went straight into the top corner from the right flank.
To inflict more misery, Jerry turned provider by delivering a pinpoint cross for Jonathas who calmly placed his shot in the back of the net to score the fourth second before the normal time.
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A late headed attempt from Catatau was saved by Kamaljit Singh to keep the Islanders at bay. The Kalinga Warriors held on to their lead and managed their fourth win of the season.
Top-ranked Mumbai City FC will play bottom-ranked East Bengal in their next fixture at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Friday whereas Odisha FC face Juan Ferrando’s ATK Mohun Bagan at the PJN Stadium on Saturday.
