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Odisha FC have taken the advantage over reigning Indian Super League (ISL) Shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the first leg of the semi-final. The Juggernauts raced to a 2-1 victory at the Kalinga Stadium on April 23, 2024.
Mohun Bagan went into the game with a famous 2-1 win over Mumbai City FC on April 15, which saw them finish the league stage on the top of the pile with 48 points in 22 games.
On the other hand, Sergio Lobera's Odisha FC finished nine points behind them in fourth place. In the playoff game against Kerala Blasters, they trounced them 2-1 and secured their semi-final berth.
The game got off to a fiery start as Manvir Singh gave the away side the lead as early as the third minute when he nodded in a Dimitri Petratos corner. The wingback has been in superb form of late and delivered a solid performance on the night.
However, Odisha FC soon applied the counter-pressure, with their efforts culminating in one corner after another. It paid off in the sixth consecutive corner when Ahmed Jahouh swung in a delivery and Vishal Kaith failed to collect it. Delgado was at the right place at the right time and poked it into level scores in the 10th minute.
Dimitri Petratos was the central figure in the Mariners' attacks and he kept terrorizing Odisha's defence. His long-range effort was saved by Amrinder with some difficulty in the 17th minute. In the 33rd minute, he tried an Olympic goal from the corner but Amrinder tipped it over.
In the 39th minute, Roy Krishna produced a moment of sheer grit when he fought off Hector Yuste for a long ball, shoved him aside, and converted with ease.
Mohun Bagan kept producing chances. Manvir Singh masterfully brought a ball down in the box in the 40th minute and laid it off for Dimitri Petratos who skied it. Odisha had a chance of their own four minutes later when Mourtada Fall headed over from a corner.
The two teams went into halftime with a 2-1 scoreline to the hosts as Bagan were left to rue their missed chances.
Drama crescendoes in the second half as Odisha FC holds on to their lead
Liston Colaco got a freekick from a good position but he shot it well over the crossbar in the 51st minute. Anwar Ali found a golden opportunity in the 59th minute from a rebound of a Petratos freekick but his weak foot effort was embarrassingly wide from close range.
In the 66th minute, Armando Sadiku got sent off for rough play and he was soon followed by Odisha FC's Carlos Delgado in the 74th minute who saw a second yellow after a handball. With that, both teams were now operating with just 9 outfield players.
In the 81st minute, Roy Krishna made a lovely run and put a low cross into the box but Vishal Kaith collected brilliantly. Two Odisha FC players were waiting to tap it into the net.
The final chance of the game fell to Deepak Tangri in the 4th minute of additional time. The defensive midfielder released a long ranger from outside the box but it caught several deflections and lost its sting on its way to Amrinder's hands.
With this win, Odisha FC have a slim advantage to hold onto ahead of the ninety minutes that await the two sides in the second leg in Kolkata on April 28. Mohun Bagan, who have a penchant for performing well in front of their home crowd will feel the pressure again on Sunday in a roaring Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
