A superb performance from Mumbai City FC at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim resulted in a 2-0 win over Odisha FC on Sunday, which lifted it to top of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 table.
A handball inside the box from Shubham Sarangi in the 30th minute resulted in a penalty, which was tucked away by Mumbai's Bartholomew Ogbeche, who got his first goal in the sky blue jersey. Mumbai upped the pressure and a brilliant cross from Bipin Singh was thumped into the net by Rowlin Borges in the 45th minute to give it a 2-0 lead at half-time.
Here are the talking points from the game.
Mumbai at its free-flowing best
Mumbai City FC did not have the best of the starts to the season under new coach Sergio Lobera as it lost to NorthEast United FC 1-0 and scraped to a 1-0 win over FC Goa. However, it found its rhythm in the 3-0 win over SC East Bengal and was at its free-flowing best against Odisha.
After a cautious start, Mumbai settled into the game past the hour mark with the link-up play between Bartholomew Ogbeche, Hugo Boumous and Cy Goddard causing Odisha defence all kinds of problems. Goddard was lethal with his crosses while young winger Bipin Singh put in a superb shift with his pin-point crosses which resulted in the Rowlin Borges' 45th-minute goal. Borges, alongside Ahmed Jahouh, pulled the strings in the middle which wore Odisha down in the engine room.
Vignesh makes hay
While Mumbai's attacking department looked imperious, the defending from Vignesh Dakshinamurthy was equally impressive. The 22-year old was full of running down the left flank as he cut out space for Nandhakumar Sekhar from moving freely.
He completed 25 of his 39 passes and put 4 crosses into the box. His attempted cross into the box hit Shubham Sarangi's outstretched arm, earning a penalty for his team in the 30th minute.
Benching Marcelinho backfires for Baxter
Odisha coach Stuart Baxter decided to go with the combination of Diego Mauricio and Daniel Lalhlimpuia upfront as he benched star forward Marcelinho and winger Laishram Singh on Sunday, which turned out to be a bad move. Lalhlimpuia was sluggish from the start as Odisha missed the incisiveness of Marcelinho's in the final third.
Mauricio's physicality and the pace were able to create few openings for OFC but he lacked support from Nandhakumar and Samuel in the box. Baxter realised his mistake a bit too late as he sent in Marcelinho after half-time, but Odisha already had a mountain to climb. Laishram's introduction in the 73rd minute had an impact with Marcelinho putting the winger through to the goal, but lobbed it over the goalkeeper. Marcelinho was presented with a big chance early in the second half, but the Brazilian dragged his shot wide off the post which summed up Odisha's performance.
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