Durand Cup 2023: Mohun Bagan SG Take One Step Closer to Qualification with 2-0 Win Over Punjab FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Punjab FC 2-0 in a group A match of the 132nd Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Monday.

An own goal from Melroy Assisi opened the scoring with a tap-in from Hugo Boumous as the Mariners took a step closer to booking their place in the quarter-final.

MBSG coach Juan Ferrarando fielded a strong XI with the likes of Hugo Boumous, Brendan Hamill, Vishal Kaith, Glan Martins, Subhasish Bose making their first start of the season, with Anwar Ali making his debut.

Punjab FC, too, named a newly-formed side with new players like Amarjit Singh, Melroy Assisi, Leon Augustin starting.

In the opening exchanges, Mohun Bagan as well as Punjab FC made promising forays into the opposition third but lack of cohesion meant they did not materialise.

In the 23rd minute, Manvir, on the left, got a long ball out from the back. He outmuscled Nikhil Prabhu to send in a telling grounded cross. Suhail Bhat was the intended target as he waited but the ball never reached him. Melroy had slid in to protect his goal but ended up slotting the ball into the back of his own net as Kiran Kumar Limbu stood dumbfounded.

Both teams settled down, especially Mohun Bagan who were content to sit back and allow Punjab FC to throw a few players forward.

Mohun Bagan hit Punjab on the break early after the restart. After weathering an attack, Liston passed the ball to substitute Dimitrios Petratos, who passed it back to him on the left flank. Liston dinked it deep on the first touch as Limbu palmed the ball down at the far post, with Nikhil Prabhu bringing it down in his own box. Hugo Boumous was the quickest to react as he turned the ball into the net to double Mohun Bagan’s lead in the 48th minute.

Luka Majcen, who had been finding it hard to get a foot in the game, produced a strong shot that hit the crossbar, barely minutes after the second goal. In the 55th minute again, Luka had a headed try from Amarjit’s cross as Kaith made a heroic save to keep his clean sheet intact.

Both teams were wasteful in the closing minutes of the game despite the introductions of MBSG’s Kiyan Nassiri and PFC’s Juan Mera.

Mohun Bagan managed to hold on to their lead and see off the game with East Bengal coach Charles Cudrat in the stands with the Kolkata Derby up next for both teams.