Holder Mumbai City FC continued its dominance over last year’s runner-up ATK Mohun Bagan as it downed the latter in a glut of goals in an ISL Season 8 fixture at Fatorda on Wednesday. Mumbai City won 5-1.
The Islanders went on the attack right from the start, catching ATK MB by surprise. Vikram Pratap Singh and Bipin Singh’s energy and enthusiasm came to the fore as MCFC went 2-0 up by the 25th minute. Vikram netted the opener in the fourth minute with a rasping grounder that beat ATK MB goalkeeper Amrinder Singh.
The ATK MB citadel fell again in the 25th minute as MCFC’s surprise package, Vikram, got an accurate cross from Bipin and doubled the lead. The 19-year-old forward, who graduated from AIFF development side Indian Arrows, was lucky as the officials failed to spot his ‘hand of god’ effort.
Replays showed the ball hitting Vikram’s outstretched arm as he made a sliding effort to send the rebound home after his first shot had come off Amrinder.
Igor Angulo scored the third in the 38th minute before ATK MB was reduced to 10 in the 46th minute when defender Dipak Tangri was shown the red card.
Mourtada Fall nodded home Ahmed Jahouh’s free kick to make it 4-0 before Bipin netted the fifth in the 52nd minute. ATK MB’s David Williams, a substitute late in the second half, scored off a brilliant solo effort to reduce the margin.
The result: ATK Mohun Bagan 1 (Williams 60) lost to Mumbai City FC 5 (Vikram 4 & 25, Angulo 38, Fall 47, Bipin 52).
Thursday’s match: Jamshedpur FC vs Hyderabad FC, 7.30 p.m.
