BENGALURU: Touted as one of the favourites for the ISL title this season, Mumbai City FC justified that billing with an impressive 2-0 win over Odisha FC on Sunday. It was a dominant and attacking display, which would make coach Sergio Lobera happy, considering that the Spaniard is an advocate of such a brand of football.
The Islanders did that in style, with first-half goals from Bartholomew Ogbeche and Rowllin Borges securing their third straight win. They had previously defeated FC Goa and SC East Bengal.
Mumbai City impressed with their possession-based football, which stood at 66 per cent. They had 604 passes in the match while their opponents managed 262, showcasing Mumbai's supremacy all around the park. With midfielders like Ahmed Jahouh and his ability to distribute far and wide, such numbers are understandable.
When Mumbai players had the ball on their feet, it was not those lazy back passes. Balls were sprayed to the wings and players were willing to make those runs into the box. When balls were whipped inside the box, they had numbers in the danger area.
It is also about the quality of players, which makes Mumbai an impressive unit. For instance, Lobera decided to bench Adam Fondre, who has three goals this season. He was not missed much, with Ogbeche looking strong upfront. The Nigerian helped his team take the lead with a neat penalty in the 30th minute.
A few minutes later, Mourtada Fall scored with a header, but it was disallowed by the referee, who felt the defender had fouled goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh in the process. The latter could not continue after that as well. But Mumbai did double their lead with Borges’ header before the break. It was his intent to get into the box, which helped him score.
With a 2-0 lead, one would have excused Mumbai to take it a little easy in the second half. But that was not to be with their players pushing for more. Their energy and intensity was the same in the second half too. They got chances also, but failed to convert.
On the other hand, Odisha, who have had problems in the final third in previous matches, did not create many clear cut chances. Even bringing in Brazilian Marcelinho in the second half did not help Odisha score despite the midfielder linking well with the attackers. With this loss, Odisha's search for a win this season continues.