Mumbai City FC shine against Highlanders in their opening game in ISL

GUWAHATI: NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) lost their opening game in ISL to Mumbai City FC by 1-2 at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium here today. All three goals came in the first 45 minutes of the match which was witnessed by nearly seven thousand spectators.

Jorge Pereyra Diaz opened the account for Mumbai City FC in the 26th minute. He also scored the team’s second goal 12 minutes later. Parthib Gogoi was the lone scorer for NEUFC (32nd minute).

Mumbai City FC seemed to have picked up from where they had left it last season, with their frontline functioning in tandem straight from kick-off. Bipin Singh dropped down in the middle to receive a pass from midfielder Lalengmawia Ralte to initiate the move for the first strike of the night. The winger played an incisive through ball for Lallianzuala Chhangte inside the box, who squared off a pass that was tapped in by Diaz to round off a neat offensive endeavour by the visitors.

NorthEast responded strongly as they gradually began pressing higher up in the quest of the equaliser. Asheer Akhtar swiftly cleared a ball from the backline that was received by Gogoi on the inside of the left flank a few yards away from the box. The winger demonstrated some fine footwork to cut in and shot from the long range in an effort that took Mumbai’s goalkeeper Mohammad Nawaz aback. The custodian dived on his left but couldn’t get his hand behind the ball amidst a joyous eruption from the home crowd.

Mumbai appeared to be eager to regain the lead and the duo of Chhangte and Diaz were at the centre of the move that helped them to do so. Six minutes later, Dutch midfielder Yoell van Nieff played a simple pass to the Indian attacker that he used to lob in a cross to Mehtab Singh on the far post. The defender headed the ball in Diaz’s path as the forward demonstrated his razor sharp instincts in extending his leg forward and managing to get the ball into the back of the net.

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