FC Goa break 13-game winless run against Mumbai City FC with a 3-1 victory

Mumbai: Iker Guarrotxena scored a brace and Borja Herrera contributed one goal as FC Goa defeated Mumbai City FC 3-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Mumbai Football Arena here on Wednesday to break their 13-game-long winless run against the Islanders in the competition.

The Gaurs have thus strengthened their hold on the second spot, bagging 39 points after 20 games with 11 victories and six draws now, as a brace by Guarrotxena and a solitary strike by Herrera in the second essay swung the game in their favour. Lallianzuala Chhangte converted a penalty for the lone consolation for Mumbai City in the seventh minute of added time.

Guarrotxena attacked the Mumbai City defence single-handedly, taking the onus to score the first goal with a brilliant effort in the 24th minute.

Picking the ball at the edge of the 18-yard box, Guarrotxena tip-toed the entire Mumbai City FC defence laterally before getting to a central position, still outside the penalty area, before drilling the ball into the bottom right corner to capture the lead. The attacker returned to trouble the Islanders when Borja Herrera served him a cross five minutes later, to which the former took a mistimed header that was blocked in time.

However, the Spanish forward doubled the lead for the visitors through the help of Udanta Singh in the 41st minute. The surge of FC Goa offences hadn’t stopped and Guarrotxena made the most of it by positioning perfectly at the centre of the box as Udanta dragged the Mumbai City FC players behind with a darting run down the right flank, beating his nearest marker Vikram Partap Singh.

Herrera got FC Goa a cushion of an additional goal when he timed his run inside the box perfectly, to jump up on a meek headed clearance by Mehtab Singh. Herrera was unmarked and he deposited the ball into the bottom right corner in the 64th minute.

FC Goa will next play against Kerala Blasters FC on February 22, whereas Mumbai City FC will square off against Hyderabad FC on February 19. IANS

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