ISL 2017 Match 11: FC Pune City vs Mumbai City FC, 5 Talking Points
The first 'Maha Derby' of the ISL 2017 season was a slow burner. It got off to a very sedate start but gathered momentum rapidly in the second half.
Balwant Singh's early goal gave visitors Mumbai City FC the lead and it looked like we were set for a repeat of the result from last year in this corresponding fixture. Pune City though, mounted a spirited comeback in the second half and roared on by their home fans, completed a 2-1 win in the dying seconds of the match. It meant two back-to-back wins for Pune after losing their first game, a result that sees them go joint top with Bengaluru FC.
Here's what stood out from the game:
#1 Pune too hospitable early on
It is always said that one must be a gracious and generous host, but not on a football pitch. Pune were far too welcoming to their cross-state rivals early in this match as they afforded visiting Mumbai City far too much time and space on the ball in the opening 20 minutes.
Gerson Viera and the rest of Mumbai's midfielders got plenty of time when they had the ball at their feet and with Pune not offering even the faintest of pressure, they were able to pass the ball around with ease. It certainly helped them get off to a good start in a crucial away game such as this.