ISL
ISL Playoffs: Chhangte's last-minute magic stuns FC Goa in front of home crowd
Lallianzuala Chhangte's brace powered Mumbai City FC to script a sensational comeback in the first leg of ISL semifinal against FC Goa.
Mumbai City FC celebrating after completing the comeback against FC Goa in the first leg of their semi-final of Indian Super League. (Source: Mumbai City FC)
A brace from Lallianzuala Chhangte and a goal from Vikram Pratap Singh in the last six were enough to stun FC Goa in front of their home supporters as Mumbai City FC came back from 0-2 down to defeat Goa 3-2 in the first leg of their ISL semifinal on Wednesday.
The Gaurs, powered by strikes from Boris Singh and Brandon Fernandes, looked like they would be sealing off a key win in the last-four match as they maintained a comfortable 2-0 lead until the 90th minute of the match.
However, the Islanders had someone else on their mind and ruined FC Goa's party by scoring thrice in the final six minutes to grab a crucial victory.
Boris opened the floodgates in the 16th minute by tapping in a straightforward square delivery by attacking midfielder Mohammed Yasir. Receiving a long ball on the left flank, Yasir sprinted into the box and sliced in a low cross that was converted into a goal with ease by Boris.
Chances came far and few in between for the Islanders, with Goa keeping their backline neatly arranged.
Manolo Marquez & Co. struck the perfect balance of deft teamwork and individual brilliance upfront, often surprising the Mumbai City FC backline with a smart mix of the two.
Their second goal in the 56th minute was a product of the latter, with Brandon breaking free with the ball and depositing the ball into the top corner of the net for the second game running.
It appeared that the result had been cast over the game even before the final whistle had blown, as the Gaurs professionally managed proceedings until the 90th-minute mark.
Jayesh Rane had a key role to play in both of Chhangte's goals, setting them up with his slick deliveries amidst close spaces inside the FC Goa box.
The first one came amidst a quick break where Chhangte picked the ball from the left side of the six-yard box to slide it into the bottom right corner after a precise through ball from Rane.
Vikram's strike two minutes later was through a rebound, with the attacker perfectly placed on the run to collect and hammer the ball in to equalize the scores.
Finally, Chhangte capped off the game a few minutes later with a goal fairly identical to his first one of the night.
