Mumbai City FC delivered a nail-biting 3-2 victory over East Bengal FC, halting the hosts’ resurgence in a high-stakes Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 clash at the Salt Lake Stadium on Monday.
The visitors dominated the first half, securing a 2-0 lead through goals from Lallianzuala Chhangte and Nikolaos Karelis. However, East Bengal staged a spirited comeback in the second half, equalizing with an own goal by Mumbai defender Sahil Panwar and a late strike from substitute David Lalhlansanga. The Islanders sealed their win when Karelis scored his second goal three minutes from time.
The victory propelled Mumbai City to fifth place in the standings with 23 points from 14 matches, while East Bengal languished in 11th with 14 points from the same number of games.
Mumbai City took control early, capitalizing on East Bengal’s defensive frailty. The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when captain Brandon Fernandes delivered a precise diagonal pass to Chhangte, who unleashed a powerful grounder into the net via the upright.
Just four minutes later, Dutch midfielder Yoell van Nieff set up Karelis with a through ball. The Greek forward’s initial attempt was blocked by East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, but he made no mistake with the rebound, doubling the Islanders’ lead by halftime.
The hosts returned with renewed vigour in the second half, piling pressure on the Mumbai defense. Their persistence paid off in the 66th minute when Sahil Panwar inadvertently deflected a back-centre from P.V. Vishnu into his own net, giving East Bengal a lifeline.
The equalizer came in the 83rd minute when Hector Yuste’s assist from a corner found substitute Lalhlansanga, who volleyed it home with precision, sparking wild celebrations among the home crowd.
Despite East Bengal’s resurgence, Mumbai City delivered the decisive blow in the 87th minute. Karelis latched onto a loose ball and fired a composed finish past Gill, securing the Islanders’ three points and breaking the hosts’ hearts.
East Bengal now faces a daunting task in their next match against city rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant on January 11, as they look to recover from this setback.
Result:
East Bengal 2 (Sahil Panwar 66-OG, David Lalhlansanga 83) lost to Mumbai City FC 3 (Lallianzuala Chhangte 39, Nikolaos Karelis 43, 87).
