East Bengal FC comfortably defeated Sreenidi Deccan 2-1 to notch up their second consecutive win in Group A of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium, on Sunday.
For East Bengal, Hijazi Maher and Javier Siverio were the scorers while William Alves de Oliveira reduced the margin for the Deccan Warriors.
East Bengal’s victory put an end to Sreenidi Deccan’s ambitions in the tournament and set the stage for an exciting and highly-anticipated derby against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, scheduled for January 19.
Both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan have earned six points each and share an identical goal difference of +2, underlining the closely matched nature of their performances.
However, East Bengal hold a slight edge in the standings, as they have scored more goals than Mohun Bagan, a key factor that places them at the top of the group. This scenario adds an extra layer of intensity to the upcoming derby, as the group winner will secure a spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Mohun Bagan Super 2-1 Hyderabad FC
Australian Dimitrios Petratov scored from the spot in the dying minutes of the match to give Mohun Bagan Super Giants their second consecutive win in group A of the Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium, on Sunday.
Mohun Bagan once again had to come from behind to earn a hard-fought victory over the valiant Hyderabad FC, who took them to depths to earn the three points. While the Kolkata giants now have six points from two matches, Hyderabad are virtually out of the competition after losing both their matches.
Hyderabad FC opened the game on a bright note and took an early lead through Ramhlunchhunga after a disastrous miscommunication between Brendan Michael Hamill and Arsh Anwar Shaikh in the Mohun Bagan goal in the sixth minute of the game. Although Mohun Bagan controlled the majority of the ball possession, it was Hyderabad who had the better opportunities in the first half.
Hyderabad FC, who played an all-Indian side, looked dangerous every time they attacked from the flanks. Abdul Rabeeh A K saw his shot saved brilliantly by the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper in the 25th minute of the game. Chhunga, who was named Man of the Match, had a good game with several attempts in the Mohun Bagan goal, especially in the first half. Apart from a Petratos freekick which was comfortably saved by Kattimani in the 24th minute, Mohun Bagan failed to create clear opportunities to hit the back.
As Mohun Bagan started the second half by exerting pressure, Hyderabad were looking to sit back and play on the counter. A brilliant ball in the penalty area by Suhail was just missed by Cummings to the disappointment of the Mohun Bagan fans in the 50th minute of the game.
Minutes later, Hugo Boumous missed a wonderful opportunity when he put his shot over the bar from close range. Mohun Bagan were continuously knocking on the door of the rival goal with Kiyan Nassiri looking dangerous from the left flank. Kattimani had to pull out two good saves from long-range shots by Raj Basfore and Petrotas in the 66th minute and the 70th minute, respectively.
Hyderabad skipper Nim Dorjee Tamang was sent off for dissent in the 84th minute leaving Hyderabad FC to see out the rest of the game with 10 men.
The pressure from Mohun Bagan finally paid off as substitute Jeremy put the ball in the back of his own net while trying to clear the ball thus resulting in Mohun Bagan’s equaliser in the 88th minute.
Two minutes later the referee awarded Mohun Bagan a penalty when Boumous was fouled inside the penalty area by Mark Zothanpuia and the ever-reliant Petratos calmly put the ball to the bottom left corner to break Hyderabad FC’s hearts and give Mohun Bagan three points.
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