Mumbai City produced a disciplined and gritty performance to secure a 1-0 victory over Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, with a second half goal from Captain Lallianzuala Chhangte proving decisive.
The hosts began brightly, testing Mumbai City in the 2nd minute when Victor Bertomeu broke through on goal. Making his landmark 100th appearance for the club, Phurba Lachenpa reacted well to make the save and deny the opener. The Islanders responded positively and earned a corner in the 5th minute. A cleverly worked routine provided the first chance for the visitors as Lallianzuala Chhangte found himself in space and forced a save from goalkeeper Arsh Shaikh.
After a balanced opening 15 minutes, Mumbai City gradually began to assert more control. In the 23rd minute, Jorge Pereyra Díaz was fouled by Danish Farooq as he tried to play a pass into Brandon Fernandes inside the penalty area. Pereyra Diaz stepped up to take the penalty kick but his effort was too central, allowing Shaikh to make a save and keep the scores level.
Phurba showed his own calibre at the other end, when Bertomeu attempted an ambitious long-range free kick after Sahil Panwar was booked for conceding the foul. Phurba remained alert once again to make a solid save. Despite some promising moments in the opening half, neither side was able to produce quality in the final third as they went into the break goalless after two minutes were added on.
Mumbai City began the second half with renewed intensity and purpose immediately after the restart. The breakthrough arrived two minutes into the half as the Islanders capitalised on a poor clearance from the opposition defence. Tluanga’s effort took a deflection and fell kindly to the skipper inside the box, who made no mistake with a simple finish to give the Islanders the lead.
Mumbai City then enjoyed a comfortable spell and limited Kerala Blasters FC to speculative efforts. The hosts struggled to create any clear opportunities as the Islanders remained in control. Another chance came in the 65th minute as Pereyra Díaz found space at the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful strike, which was well stopped by the opposition goalkeeper.
Kerala Blasters FC pushed hard for an equalizer in the closing stages, testing the visitors’ defensive organisation. They managed to win a few corners during the five minutes of added time but Petr Kratky’s side dealt with the pressure confidently to secure another clean sheet and seal a disciplined 1-0 victory.
With another clean sheet and back-to-back victories, the Islanders will now shift their focus to their next fixture against NorthEast United FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on March 1, aiming to build further momentum as the season gathers pace.
