ISL 2023-24: Odisha FC rides on Krishna’s winner to turn tables on Mohun Bagan SG in first leg of semifinal

Odisha FC came back from a deficit to defeat League Shield champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2-1 in the first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) 10 semifinal at the Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.

Mohun Bagan went in front in the third minute through Manvir Singh before Carlos Delgado and Roy Krishna found the target once each to hand Odisha the advantage going into the second leg in Kolkata on April 28.

Odisha FC came back from a goal deficit to beat League Shield champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant 2-1 in the first leg of the first semifinal of the Indian Super League (ISL) 10, at the Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.

AS IT HAPPENED: Odisha FC vs Mohun Bagan Super Giant, ISL semifinal first leg highlights

Mohun Bagan took the lead early on, off an effort from Manvir Singh, before Carlos Delgado and Roy Krishna found the target once each to secure the win for Odisha.

Both teams went down to 10 men midway through the second half as Mohun Bagan forward Armando Sadiku and Odisha defender Delgado were ejected after their second bookings of the match.

The two teams will now meet in the second leg at Salt Lake Stadium on April 28 to determine the finalist.

Odisha seemed to have the greater motivation and exploited Mohun Bagan’s lack of intensity in the opening half. The home side accorded a customary guard of honour to the visiting side for its League triumph but the veneration disappeared on the field where Odisha grew in stature to outplay the champion.

Mohun Bagan, which appeared to be resting on its laurels following the Shield win, put up a half-hearted show after taking the lead in the third minute.

Manvir Singh nodded home a Dimitri Petratos corner to put Mohun Bagan ahead. But the early lead seemed to infuse complacency in the visitor’s ranks and allowed the host to claw back into the game.

Odisha made a spectacular return, earning five consecutive corners and finding the target in the final one in the series to restore parity by the 11th minute.

Ahmed Jahouh curled the corner onto the Mohun Bagan goalmouth and an unmarked Delgado guided the ball home with his feet to help the host get back into the game.

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Odisha could have found the lead in the 14th minute when it was given a penalty just to be overturned by the referee who, after consulting his assistant, flagged Roy Krishna off-side.

Odisha finally found the lead in the 39th minute when Krishna outmuscled the Mohun Bagan centre-back Hector Yuste and tapped home to complete a fine solo effort.

This was Krishna’s 13th goal in the tournament which took him to the top of goalscoring charts this season, sharing it with Kerala Blasters striker Dimitrios Diamantakos.

Mohun Bagan tried to make a comeback after containing the barrage of attacks from the host but its efforts did not pay off as Odisha’s defence stood firm to deny it any further chance of finding the equaliser.

Mohun Bagan had a fine chance in the 59th minute when the Odisha goalkeeper Amrinder Singh blocked a free-kick from Dimitri Petratos.

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The rebound landed on the feet of Anwar Ali but the Mohun Bagan defender sent the ball over an open goal to keep the Odisha lead safe.

Mohun Bagan suffered a major blow in the 67th minute when its striker Sadiku received his second booking following a foul on Jahouh.

This disparity in the numbers did not last long as Odisha was also reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute with goalscorer Delgado given marching orders after receiving his second yellow card of the match.