Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated 10-man Bengaluru FC 1-0 in the 2023-24 Indian Super League at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Juan Ferrando set his team in a very attacking formation but it was Simon Grayson’s boys who started the match on the front foot. If and when BFC lost possession, they hounded the ball out within minutes.
Come the seventh minute, Roshan Singh broke free of the Mohun Bagan defence but his shot was way over Vishal Kaith’s goal. Four minutes later Roshan’s fizzing shot was parried behind. From the resulting corner, Aleksandar Jovanovic headed it down as Rohit Kumar tried to turn the ball in reactively, only for Anirudh Thapa to clear from the goal line.
Mohun Bagan slowly started to grow into the game. In the 13th minute, Liston Colaco and Hugo Boumous tried a fast counter from a corner, but the former’s shot curved wide at the last minute.
Having weathered the initial attacks from Bengaluru, Mohun Bagan took over possession and sprung multiple attacks without much luck. The defensive pair at the heart of the Bengaluru defence, Jovanovic and Slavko Dajanovic, stood tall to clear away any cross that came their way. Rohit Kumar and Suresh Singh working in tandem to close down the passing channels.
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The first five minutes after the start of the second half were frantic. Mohun Bagan had four back-to-back corners as well as a chance from Thapa. Petratos was felled inside the box by Rohit but a glance from the referee to his assistant confirmed no foul play. In the 50th minute, Rohit’s shot from outside the box was saved by Kaith and the rebound was shot wide by Namgyal Bhutia.
The game got a bit rough in the middle of the park with players from both sides getting booked.
Mohun Bagan were keeping the ball well and had been probing the Bengaluru defence. In the 67th minute, Jovanovic’s poor headed clearance was only till Jason Cummings, who played in Boumous. The Mohun Bagan star poked his at the near-post past Gurpreet.
Suresh who had been booked earlier, brought down Petratos, with the help of Roshan in the 75th, which the referee deemed to be excessive and gave him his marching orders with a flash of red.
After the second drinks break of the match, Mohun Bagan took control of the match with their numerical advantage.
In added time after 90, last-man Roshan brought down Petratos on the edge of the penalty box. The referee had no choice but to show his second red card of the night.
Despite a late flourish from Bengaluru, the Mariners held on for all three points.
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