That is it from this game. Mumbai are flying high at the moment as they are 2nd on the table. Coming to the visitors, they are staring down the barrel. Now we have a winter break. We will see you after that. Till then, have a great time, goodbye.
Awards
The Club Award has been given to Mumbai City FC for winning the game. The Limitless Player of the Match Award goes to Rafael Bastos. The Winning Pass of the Match Award goes to Paulo Machado. The Emerging Player of the Match Award is bagged by Raynier Fernandes. Lastly, Modou Sougou wins the Hero of the Match Award.
Sensational Mumbai City FC
What a fantastic performance from Mumbai City FC. They had a two-goal lead in the first half and Kerala had a man down as well. Second half, Kerala started positively but were not threatening the backline of Mumbai. In the 70th minute, Rafael Bastos scored an absolute stunner from 25 yards to make things more worse for Kerala. In the dying minutes, the home side scored with Modou Sougou getting his fourth goal in the game and 5th of the night and the substitute Matias Mirabaje made it 6 for Mumbai FC. More or less the game was done and dusted after Kerala going a man down but Mumbai capitalized on it and scored 6 on the night. In the end, it was complete domination from the home side.
90'
Full time
The referee blows the whistle and Mumbai City FC win by 6-1.
90'
GOALLLLL!!!
Modou Sougou scores his fourth of the game. Paulo Machado gives a through ball to Arnold Issoko. Nemanja Lakic-Pesic puts in a sliding tackle but the ball falls straight to Modou Sougou who taps it into the empty net as Dheeraj Singh had gone for the ball as well.
90'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Modou Sougou
90'
Injury time
4 minutes are added on. Kerala Blasters FC will like the match to get over as soon as possible.
89'
GOALLLLLL!
Matias Mirabaje makes it five for Mumbai City FC and what a strike it was. Arnold Issoko gives a straight pass to Matias Mirabaje. The latter takes a stride and unleashes a left foot strike. The ball flies in the top right hand corner and into the net. Stunner from the substitute.
89'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Matias Mirabaje
86'
Wide off the mark
Slavisa Stojanovic feeds a straight ball in the middle of the park to Seiminlen Doungel. The latter then tries to curl it with his left foot but was just wide off the target. Good effort though but will not trouble Amrinder Singh with that type of shots.
82'
Substitution for Kerala Blasters FC
Prasanth K will come in place of Lalruatthara for the final 10 minutes.
82'
Substitution
Substitution - Kerala Blasters FC (In: Prasanth K, Out: Lalruatthara)
79'
Good defending
Modou Sougou feeds Arnold Issoko with a lovely through ball on the left flank. The latter runs with the ball and tries to cross it inside the box and hits Sandesh Jhingan in the process. Dheeraj Singh in the end collects it.
73'
Final substitution for Mumbai City FC
The goalscorer Rafael Bastos is being replaced by Matias Mirabaje to bring some fresh legs in the midfield.
73'
Substitution
Substitution - Mumbai City FC (In: Matias Mirabaje, Out: Rafael Bastos)
70'
GOALLLLL!
What a stunner from Rafael Bastos. Unstoppable. Arnold Issoko runs with the ball forward and Halicharan Narzary tackles him in the process. The referee allows the game to continue and the ball falls to Rafael Bastos who takes a stride and shoots it with right foot and the ball flies in top left hand corner. No keeper in the world would have stopped that.
70'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Rafael Bastos
68'
Substitution for the home side
Raynier Fernandes is being taken and is replaced by Mohammed Rafique. The former had a terrific game today.
68'
Substitution
Substitution - Mumbai City FC (In: Mohammed Rafique, Out: Raynier Fernandes)
63'
Good cross
Raynier Fernandes puts a nice through ball to release Arnold Issoko. The latter from the right flank drills a low cross inside the box to find Modou Sougou but he cannot reach to that pass. Good move.
59'
Missed opportunity
Amrinder Singh puts in a hopeful ball in the Kerala defence. Nemanja Lakic-Pesic wanted to head it back to his keeper but Lalruatthara comes in his way and the header falls straight to Modou Sougou who intercepts it and beats the keeper in the process. But in the end, he side nets it.
57'
Kerala Blasters keeping the ball
The away team has had some possession of the ball but not threatening the Mumbai City defence much.
52'
Mumbai City FC substitution
Joyner Lourenco is replaced by Anwar Ali in defence. The former looks injured and it was right to take him off.
52'
Substitution
Substitution - Mumbai City FC (In: Anwar Ali, Out: Joyner Lourenco)
48'
Well over
Halicharan Narzary finds some space in the middle of the park. He takes a stride and shoots it with his left foot but the ball goes well over the bar.
46'
Second half
We are back for the start of the second half. Kerala will get us underway in this half.
Mumbai City FC on top here in Mumbai
What a half of football we have witnessed here in Mumbai. After a watchful 10 minutes, the game gathered pace and how! Modou Sougou opened the scoring in the 12th minute with his outstretched right leg after Paulo Machado whipped in a low cross from the left. Modou Sougou then doubled Mumbai's advantage 3 minutes later with a wonderful long-range shot, which Dheeraj Singh had no chance to save. Kerala Blasters FC tried to come back in this one and halved the deficit after Seiminlen Doungel found the back of the net. Modou Sougou completed his hat trick with a perfectly placed header to restore their 2 goal lead. Kerala Blasters FC started losing their calm and Zakeer Mundampara got his first yellow in the 35th minute. He got his marching orders in the added time after he tripped Rafael Bastos. He made matters worse for him after he threw the ball at the referee and will be seeing a lengthy ban for it. Kerala Blasters FC have a mountain to climb here if they are to draw this one. Join us on the other side of the break.
46'
Substitution
Substitution - Kerala Blasters FC (In: Keziron Kizito, Out: Sahal Abdul Samad)
45'
Half time
The referee blows his whistle to bring an end to the first half.
45'
Red card
Zakeer Mundampara trips Rafael Bastos who easily beats him The referee has no hesitation reaching his pocket and showing him a second yellow. Zakeer to make matters worse for him thros the ball on the referees face. He is staring down a lengthy ban here for his actions. Kerala Blasters FC now have a mountain to climb if they want to avoid defeat here.
45'
Second Yellow Card
Second Yellow Card - Kerala Blasters FC : Zakeer Mundampara
45'
Added time
2 minutes have been added on after the end of regulation 45.
41'
Another Yellow card
Sahal Abdul Samad is the second Kerala Blasters FC player to be booked. The Blasters players are losing their cool here. They need to keep their calm here if they want to comeback in this one. It will be impossible to break this Mumbai defence if they go a man down.
41'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Kerala Blasters FC : Sahal Abdul Samad
35'
Yellow card
Zakeer Mundampara clips Arnold Issoko and goes straight into the referee's book. First card of the game.
35'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Kerala Blasters FC : Zakeer Mundampara
30'
GOALLLL!!!
HAT-TRICK!!!! Modou Sougou with the third of the night and Mumbai City FC have their 2 goal lead back. Subhasish Bose whips a cross from the right and Modou Sougou leaps high and heads it on the top right side of the net to make it 3-1 and complete his first half hat-trick. He opened the scoring in the 12th minute and now the third in 30th minute. What a player!
30'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Modou Sougou
27'
GOALLLL!!!
Game on! Seiminlen Doungel halves the deficit. Lucian Goian makes a perfect tackle but the ball quickly goes to Sauvik Chakrabarti who is unable to control it and it falls straight to Seiminlen Doungel. Doungel takes a touch and tries to find the far post from the right. The ball hits the inner half of the post and goes into the back of the net. 2-1 and Kerala Blasters FC are back in this one.
27'
Goal
Goal - Kerala Blasters FC : Seiminlen Doungel
19'
Just wide
Paulo Machado puts in a nice long ball over the top and finds Arnold Issoko. He controls it with his right foot and chips it over the goal keeper as the keeper was off his line but the ball goes just wide of the target. Mumbai in complete control here.
15'
GOALLLLLLL
Modou Sougou scores his second of the game and his seventh of the season. Dheeraj Singh misplaced clearance falls straight into the path of Raynier Fernandes, who squares it to Modou Sougou. Sougou takes a touch and fires a shot from the edge of the box. His cannon shot flicks the inner half of the top post and finds the back of the net. With the form Sougou is in everything he touches turns to gold, in this case goals.
15'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Modou Sougou
12'
GOALLLL!!!
Modou Sougou opens the scoring here in Mumbai. Rafael Bastos plays a long through ball from Mumbai's defensive half to find Paulo Machado on the right flank. Machado plays a first time low cross to find Modou Sougou, who outstretches his right leg and finds the back of the net. A brisk move from Mumbai City FC to break the deadlock here.
12'
Goal
Goal - Mumbai City FC : Modou Sougou
9'
First shot of the game
Arnold Issoko hits the first shot on goal of the game. He tried his luck from distance but his effort was way off target.
8'
Watchful start
Both teams are being watchful here and waiting for the opposing defence to make a mistake.
1'
Kick off
The home side in its all blue will get us underway in the first half.
Toss
Kerala Blasters FC have won the toss and will attack from left to right in the first half.
National Anthem
The players are out in the middle for the Indian National Anthem.
Amrinder Singh (GK/C), Arnold Issoko, Sauvik Chakrabarti, Lucian Goian, Subhasish Bose, Joyner Lourenco, Raynier Fernandes, Milan Singh, Modou Sougou, Paulo Machado, Rafael Bastos.
Final clash before the winter break
Hello, everyone, and welcome to match 59 of this edition's Indian Super League. 2nd placed Mumbai City FC take on Kerala Blasters FC. The Islanders are having a great season and find themselves 6 points behind table-toppers Bengaluru FC. Mumbai would want to go into the winter break stretching their 7-match unbeaten run to 8. Mumbai City FC's defense have been their backbone and they have kept 6 clean sheets in 11 games so far, the second-most this season. The Blasters, on the other hand, are having a horror season and have managed to win only one game so far. They are on a 10-match winless run and would want to end that. Scoring goals in the first half has been a major issue for Kerala Blasters FC. They have managed only 2 goals in the first 45 this season. If they are to have any outside chance to finish in the top 4 they must start winning games from tonight. This will be an interesting battle between 2 teams fighting for a different cause. Mumbai City FC would want to solidify their position in the top 4 whereas Kerala Blasters FC would want to win and keep their hopes of finishing in the top 4 alive. Let's see who comes out on top.