Another match week came to a conclusion with Kerala Blasters’ draw with Northeast United. Bengaluru and Punjab remain unbeaten this season, while Mumbai City, East Bengal, and Hyderabad are all winless. From Mohammedan’s historic ISL victory to Bengaluru’s thumping of Mohun Bagan, let’s look at some of the most important moments this match week.
Punjab continue winning run to make it three in three
At Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, Punjab FC hosted Hyderabad FC in the opening encounter of the third match week of ISL. Punjab was the obvious favorite going into the match because they had won every game whereas Hyderabad had lost their only game. With a 2-0 victory over them, Panagiotis Dilmperis’ team won the match with relative ease.
Vidal scored the opening goal of the game with an excellent free kick in the first half, and Mrzlijak doubled the advantage to secure all three points in the second half. Hyderabad finished the game with only 10 men as right-back Leander D’Cunha was sent off following an accumulation of yellow cards.
While many people were surprised by the decision to part ways with Staikos Vergetis, Panagiotis Dilmperis has performed admirably thus far, winning every league game after an outstanding Durand Cup campaign. Beyond the outcome, Punjab’s scouts deserve recognition for their network, which has helped them bring in players like Madih Talal, Vidal, Mrzlijak, and Novoselec.
Although Hyderabad FC has shown signs of positive play, they are yet to score this season. The team’s delayed preseason start is contributing to their sluggish start. With the signings of Cy Goddard, Allan Paulista, and Stefan Sapic already completed, they are trying to bring in more foreigners as they continue to rebuild with new investors.
Remsanga’s strike gives Mohammedan first ISL win
To win their very first ISL match, Mohammedan SC surprised Chennaiyin FC at their home stadium, Marina Arena. Mohammedan kept to their game plan, was rock-solid defensively, and patiently waited for their opportunity to counterattack, while Chennaiyin FC dominated in terms of possession and total shots, but they were unable to capitalize on it and put the ball in the back of the net.
After a mistake by the Chennaiyin defense, Remsanga capitalized on it and scored in the second half. Owen Coyle called the goal an “early Christmas gift” and expressed his frustration with his team’s manner of conceding it. Manzoki had a chance to double the lead but missed his penalty.
With their first home game of the season, Chennaiyin FC was anticipated to perform better following their outstanding 3-2 triumph over Odisha FC. Apart from quite a few defensive mistakes, they did everything but score. Owen Coyle demanded his team be more clinical up front because he was dissatisfied with the shots-to-shots-on-target ratio. Conversely, Chernyshov was thrilled with his team’s efforts despite dropping points in the last minutes of the previous two games. Chernyshov maintained that the three points were more important, despite Chennaiyin FC’s dominance in the contest.
Borja haunts East Bengal on his return
East Bengal met Manolo Marquez’s FC Goa in the match week’s third encounter at Salt Lake Stadium. Both teams were winless going into the match; Goa had lost their opening game and drawn the second, while Carles Cuadrat’s team had lost its opening two ISL 2024–25 matches. At the conclusion of ninety minutes, East Bengal’s performance was once again dismal as they lost 3-2, thanks to a hat-trick from Borja Herrera for the Gaurs. Madih Talal and David scored their first league goals in East Bengal colors.
East Bengal’s dismal start to the season continues with yet another defeat. After losing both the AFC Champions League-2 qualification and the Durand Cup quarter-final, they have now lost their previous five games. Given the amount of money they spent this summer, Carles Cuadrat now stands fired as he failed to improve the results.
Manolo would be happy to secure his first victory of the year after giving up points in the first two games. He would also be happy that his side is still finding methods to score goals even without Armando Sadiku. Manolo would hope his team could emulate their previous season’s winning streak and climb up the rankings.
Boumous stars as Odisha registers first win of the campaign
Odisha FC hosted Jamshedpur FC, who had won both of their games this season, at home following a 2-1 setback to Punjab FC. With the exception of their most recent loss against Chennaiyin, Odisha had a stellar home record under Spanish tactician, which they maintained with a 2-1 triumph over the Red Miners.
The Juggernauts took the lead with goals from Diego Mauricio and Mourtada Fall in the first half. Fall’s own goal gave Jamshedpur a chance to come back in the second half but it was not enough to salvage a point. Odisha would be thrilled to win their first match of the season after losing to Punjab FC and Chennaiyin FC in their opening two games.
Hugo Boumous had a point to prove after Mohun Bagan left him out of the squad for the second half of the previous season. What better way to do it than to sign with Odisha FC, under his former coach Lobera? The Moroccan midfielder, who assisted both the goals, was crucial to the Juggernauts’ victory. In three games this season, he has recorded three assists. On the other hand, Khalid Jamil would have liked to extend his team’s winning streak but they fell short. Given that the Red Miners haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last nine league games, he would be expecting for things to improve defensively!
Gerard Zaragoza turning Kanteerava into a fortress
In the matchweek’s fifth game, Bengaluru FC defeated Mohun Bagan Super Giants 3-0 at Kanteerava Stadium. The team led by Gerard Zaragoza dominated the entire match and imposed revenge for their 3-0 home setback to the same opponents the previous season. Edgar gave the Blues the lead, while Suresh Wangjam scored another goal during the first half. To ensure the win, Sunil Chhetri added a third from the spot. With this victory, Bengaluru FC has now won every game they have played in the Indian Super League this year and have only lost once in their ten home games under Gerard Zaragoza.
For Jose Molina, things are becoming worse rather than better. In their past seven games across all competitions this season, Mohun Bagan has only won once (not counting penalties or extra time). This includes their loss in the Durand Cup final. They have lost six of the seven games in that span, conceding at least two goals, demonstrating their ongoing defensive struggles. There have been questions raised about the management’s choice not to sign a foreign defensive midfielder and a replacement for Anwar Ali, who departed the club unexpectedly. Molina’s position would be in jeopardy if the results for his side don’t improve.
Age is just a number, isn’t it!?
At 40 years old, Sunil Chhetri is a prime illustration of the aforementioned remark, having smashed yet another record in Indian football! With 64 goals to his credit, he has become the ISL’s all-time leading goalscorer following his penalty against Mohun Bagan. With three goals in three games, Sunil Chhetri is leading the ISL 2023–24 Golden Boot rankings despite having retired from the national team!
Moroccon’s star as Blasters and Northeast settle for a draw
At the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Northeast United hosted Kerala Blasters in the match week’s last game. The Highlanders lost their most recent game 3-2 to Mohun Bagan, while the Blasters emerged victorious 2-1 over East Bengal! Thanks to a howler by Sachin Suresh, Alaeddine Ajaraie scored the game’s opening goal for the Higlanders through a free-kick!
The game concluded in a 1-1 draw after Noah Sadaoui’s incredible left-footed goal from outside the area gave the Blasters the equalizer. Asheer Akthar was sent off in the 80th minute, leaving the Highlanders with 10 men towards the end of the match!
A foul was committed in the play that resulted in the goal, according to Juan Pedro Benali, who was not pleased with the refereeing. The Higlanders have dropped points in their previous two games due to two referee errors, according to Benali, despite winning the Durand Cup and the opening game. While Mikael Stahre would undoubtedly be frustrated not getting all three points, he would be pleased that the Blasters haven’t lost the game. Adrian Luna’s return, having missed the previous two games due to sickness, would please him. With Luna arriving and two difficult matches on the road ahead of them, Mikael Stahre would be looking to pick some wins and go on a winning streak!
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