Mohun Bagan Super Giant claimed a 2-1 victory against Punjab FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) match held on Saturday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan stadium.
The match kicked off with Punjab FC taking an early lead in the third minute, thanks to Alfred Planas, who struck a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. Mohun Bagan’s goalkeeper, Vishal Kaith, was unable to stop the effort, putting Punjab ahead.
In response, Mohun Bagan attempted to level the score, with a long-range shot from Samir Jelkovic missing the target in the sixth minute. Two minutes later, Punjab’s Manglenthang Kipgen created another opportunity, but Kaith easily saved his shot from outside the box.
The match took a turn for Mohun Bagan when Sahal Abdul Samad had to leave the field due to injury in the 12th minute, making way for Anirudh Thapa. Despite this setback, Mohun Bagan maintained their pressure and equalized in the 18th minute. Thapa set up Lee Irwin, who skillfully found the bottom right corner of the net with a left-footed shot.
Both teams had several chances to score during the first half. Rahul Bheke came close to giving Mohun Bagan the lead in the 22nd minute, but his header from a corner kick by Dejan Drazic went just wide. On the other end, Planas had another opportunity for Punjab, but his shot from outside the box was blocked.
In the 42nd minute, Mohun Bagan turned the match in their favor. Irwin assisted Drazic outside the penalty area, allowing the midfielder to score with a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner, putting the hosts ahead 2-1. Punjab’s goalkeeper, Arshdeep Singh, made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game, but Mohun Bagan went into halftime with the lead.
As the second half commenced, Punjab FC sought to equalize, while Mohun Bagan aimed to extend their advantage. Thapa nearly scored from a distance in the 49th minute, and in the 62nd minute, a shot from Deepak Tangri after a corner also went just wide.
Punjab continued to push for a comeback. In the 75th minute, Planas fired a shot from inside the box, which Kaith saved. Irwin’s attempt was also thwarted by Arshdeep, who faced another challenge from substitute Liston Colaco.
In the final moments, Mohun Bagan ramped up the pressure. Tangri’s shot from outside the box in the 87th minute narrowly missed the target, while Punjab FC desperately sought an equalizer. Coach Panos Dilmperis’s side held their composure through eight minutes of injury time, securing a 2-1 victory and earning all three points.