Mumbai City FC Stages Stunning Comeback to Defeat FC Goa 3-2 in ISL Semifinal First Leg

In a thrilling first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) semifinal, Mumbai City FC mounted an incredible comeback to defeat FC Goa 3-2 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa on Tuesday. Despite trailing 0-2 until the 90th minute, Mumbai City FC scored three stoppage-time goals to secure a crucial advantage heading into the second leg.

FC Goa took an early lead in the 16th minute through Boris Singh's goal and doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Brandon Fernandes found the back of the net. With a comfortable 2-0 lead, FC Goa seemed to be in command of the match.

However, Mumbai City FC refused to give up and staged a remarkable turnaround in the dying minutes of the game. Lallianzuala Chhangte ignited the comeback by scoring in the 90th minute, reducing the deficit to 2-1. Just two minutes later, Vikram Partap Singh equalized for Mumbai City FC, stunning the home crowd.

The drama was far from over as Chhangte completed his brace in the 96th minute, scoring the winning goal for Mumbai City FC. The visitors' three goals in the span of six minutes left FC Goa shell-shocked and unable to respond.

Why this matters: This historic comeback marks the first time in ISL playoff history that a team has overcome a two-goal deficit to win a match. The result gives Mumbai City FC a significant advantage as they head into the second leg of the semifinal at the Mumbai Football Arena on April 29.

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez described his team's collapse as unprecedented, acknowledging that their inability to show character in the final minutes cost them the win. "We lost concentration in the last minutes, and it cost us the game. It's a tough pill to swallow," Marquez said in the post-match press conference.

On the other hand, Mumbai City FC head coach Petr Kratky praised the impact of his substitutes, particularly Gurkirat Singh and Jayesh Rane, who played crucial roles in the comeback. "The substitutes made a huge difference for us. They brought fresh energy and determination to the team, and it paid off," Kratky stated.

The second leg of

Key Takeaways

• Mumbai City FC staged a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over FC Goa in the ISL semifinal 1st leg.
• FC Goa led 2-0 until the 90th minute, but Mumbai City scored 3 goals in 6 minutes to win.
• This is the first time in ISL playoff history a team has overcome a 2-goal deficit to win.
• FC Goa coach blamed loss of concentration in final minutes, while Mumbai coach praised substitutes.
• The 2nd leg of the semifinal will be played on April 29 in Mumbai.