Mohun Bagan climbed to second place with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hyderabad at the Gachibowli Stadium on Wednesday.
Manvir Singh and Subasish Bose scored in either half to secure all three points for the Highlanders, who are now in second place after six games with 13 points, three points behind league leaders Bengaluru FC.
5, Fairly comfortable outing for Mohun Bagan
Although Mohun Bagan started the game passively, with Hyderabad defending resolutely, they grew into the game and the chances started flowing.
Soon enough, they were rewarded with a goal, with Anirudh Thapa playing Manvir Singh through with a defense-splitting pass, and the winger rounded the goalkeeper and executed a tidy finish.
Similarly in the second half, Subasish Bose made it 2-0 for the defending champions from a set piece, following a poor defensive action from the hosts.
Once it became 2-0, the rest of the match was played out by Mohun Bagan in a professional manner, with high-quality game management, ending their trip to Hyderabad on a happy note.
4, From the highs of Kolkata, HFC come crashing back to reality
After their resounding 4-0 win over Mohammedan SC, the spirits were quite high in the Nawab camp ahead of the home game against another Kolkata-based club.
But Mohun Bagan were too strong for them, and the difference in quality was obvious, with one pass from Thapa splitting the Hyderabad defensive line, leading to the opening goal.
With one draw and a win in six games, Hyderabad still need a lot of work done, but so far, their youngsters are stepping up for their team but lack the experience and cutting edge to land the final blow.
3, ISL table taking shape
The top three in the ISL table have just four points separating them, and there is a noticeable divide between them and the rest.
Bengaluru FC are on top with 16 points from six matches, and Mohun Bagan are on 13 from six. Jamshedpur FC completes the top three, sitting in third with 12 points from six games.
Punjab FC are in fourth with nine points from four matches, and with two games in hand, they too can make an entry into the top three if they continue their fine run.
The competition in ISL this season looks extremely intense and it is safe to say that every point will count, especially given that the top six will fight for the ISL Cup.
2, Jose Molina happy with the clean sheet
Mohun Bagan’s head coach Jose Molina was a satisfied man at the post-match press conference.
“Firstly, happy with the result. Third consecutive victory and a clean sheet for us, really good from the team. They started the game well and pressed us a lot but we did not concede. Finally, we made use of a good opportunity and scored the first goal,” he said.
“From there on, we kept more possession than before, created more opportunities, and scored the second goal as well. Hyderabad tried till the end but they couldn’t score. Happy with the performance,” he added.
1, What next for both teams
Mohun Bagan will be in action on 10th November, facing Odisha FC at home, whereas Hyderabad FC will be on the road, their next match scheduled on 7th November against FC Goa.
With the table looking the way it is currently, there is little to no margin for error for any team, and Mohun Bagan’s next game will be against a resolute Odisha team.
Hyderabad will undoubtedly look to make it two wins in two away fixtures when they go up against Manolo Marquez’s FC Goa, but they have to be at their best if they are going to beat them.
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