ISL Cup Final: Mohun Bagan and Goa In For A Fight to Crown a Memorable Season
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Mohun Bagan Stunned by Jamshedpur FC
Mohun Bagan were head and shoulders the best team in the Indian Super League this season and made history by becoming the first club to win back-to-back ISL Shields since the start of the Indian domestic league.
The Mariners entered the playoffs as the clear favourites to win the cup according to all the best online betting sites, but things have not gone their way just yet, as they suffered an unexpected semi-final first-leg defeat to a resilient Jamshedpur in midweek.
Javier Siverio gave the Men of Steel an early lead at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Thursday afternoon, but their advantage was soon erased by a Jason Cummings equaliser before the halftime interval, and the match looked set to end level as the final whistle approached.
However, Javi Hernandez stepped up in stoppage time and slotted away the Red Miners' second of the match in the dying seconds, giving his side a one-goal advantage back to Salt Lake City in Kolkata on Monday.
That result brought an end to the Mariners' 12-match unbeaten run in the top flight (W9 D3 L0), and was the first time they had lost to Jamshepur in any competition since the AIFF Super Cup back in April 2023.
While Mohun Bagan are still expected to turn the tide on their home patch next week, it certainly will not be a walk in the park, and you can check out our experts’ thoughts on the outcome via our in-depth football predictions.
FC Goa With Mountain To Climb In Margao
The only team to put up any sort of challenge to Mohun Bagan’s title run this season was FC Goa, who finished as runners-up in the league standings with 48 points in 24 games. However, like the champions, they are also in serious danger of seeing their ISL Cup dream brought to an end.
The Gaurs made the trip to the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday and found themselves a goal down before the interval when centre-back Sandesh Jhingan stuck the ball in his own net before Edgar Mendez extended the Blues’ lead to two early in the second half.
Goa had their chances in the final quarter of the match, with Aakash Sangwan providing a tantalising cross to Odei Onaindia, but the defender got too far under it and skied his header well over the crossbar from just inside the six-yard box.
While many fans criticised Manolo Marquez’s tactics and his team’s performance in Bangalore, take nothing away from the Blues, who controlled the match from the outset and were coming off a thumping 5-0 victory over Mumbai City in the playoff knockouts.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Marquez called for belief from his players and their fans. He went on to suggest that while it will be tough, a comeback is still very much on the cards when his side host the Blues on Sunday afternoon.
The Men in Orange now have a mountain to climb in the second leg, needing to score two unanswered goals to force extra time and three to win the match outright. You can get our take on how this one will pan out by checking out our FC Goa vs. Bengaluru FC prediction.
Don’t forget, you can also follow every kick, tackle and goal from the semi-final second legs with our Indian Super League livescore tool free of charge!
