Mumbai City 2-1 Hyderabad FC: 3 reasons why the Islanders posted their first home victory | ISL 2019-20
Mumbai City FC edged past Hyderabad FC 2-1 in a keenly contested Indian Super League encounter at the Mumbai Football Arena. The victory allowed the hosts to notch their first positive result of the campaign at home.
The Islanders immediately nudge ahead when Modou Sougou finished off a flowing move in the 6th minute, after some brilliant work by Diego Carlos. Though the home side kept pushing for another goal in the opening 45 minutes, they were unable to breach the visitors’ rear-guard.
In the 67th minute though, Mumbai’s endeavours were impeded majorly when Sarthak Golui was shown his second yellow card. However, it was Mumbai who got the all-important second goal in the contest as Sougou nonchalantly lifted his attempt over the keeper with 12 minutes remaining.
Even though Hyderabad pulled a goal back in the 81st minute, they weren’t able to make the most of their dominance, thereby enabling the hosts to emerge with all three points.
Here is a look at the three reasons that allowed the Islanders to post a victory.
#3 Diego Carlos runs riot on the flanks
For the game against Hyderabad, Jorge Costa had plenty of selection headaches, owing to the number of injuries that had engulfed the club lately. Subsequently, the Portuguese was forced to shuffle his pack with the attacking onus falling on the likes of Carlos, Serge Kevyn and Sougou.
Carlos, in particular, was entrusted with the responsibility of stretching the play as the Islanders looked to notch their first win on their home patch and the Brazilian delivered emphatically, producing a scintillating performance on the left wing.
From the outset, the winger looked a bundle of energy as he tormented Ashish Rai. He got goal-side of the Indian on numerous occasions and was also smart enough to outwit his marker with clever positioning.
Most importantly though, Carlos displayed the requisite composure to pick out the right pass when accorded time and space in the final third.
After bamboozling Ashish in the 6th minute, the Brazilian found himself on the left edge of the penalty box. He looked up, saw the run of Sougou and laid the ball on a platter for the Senegalese to apply the finishing touches.
Apart from his assist, Carlos also tracked back diligently, meaning that he never isolated Subhasish Bose against the likes of Marcelinho.
Thus, through the course of the 90 minutes, the Brazilian had turned in arguably his most complete performance of the campaign. And, unsurprisingly, it earned the Islanders their first victory at the Mumbai Football Arena.