MUMBAI, Dec 24: Mumbai City FC beat Chennaiyin FC 2-1 to complete a double this season and return to the top of the table in the Indian Super League here on Saturday.
Petar Sliskovic broke the deadlock in the 34th minute before Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised four minutes later at the Mumbai Football Arena. Greg Stewart then scored in the 57th minute to seal the match for the Islanders.
Four minutes past the hour-mark, Mourtada Fall was caught on the ball before giving it straight to Julius Duker. The midfielder instantly played it through to Sliskovic, who calmly slotted the ball past Phurba Lachenpa as the Marina Machans broke the deadlock.
Fall redeemed himself for the error that led to the goal just four minutes later as he headed Ahmed Jahouh’s free kick from near the halfway line back across the face of goal on the edge of the box, where Chhangte was lurking.
The winger cushioned the ball with his left foot before firing a volley past Mitra with his right.
The comeback was complete in the second half when Bipin Singh whipped in a low cross from the left before Jorge Diaz’s back-heel flick caught the Chennaiyin FC defence wrong-footed. The ball went straight into the path of a charging Stewart, who smashed it in from close range.
In the 80th minute, Mitra was at full stretch to deny Stewart a brace from a free-kick near the edge of the box. Chennaiyin FC knocked on the door on multiple occasions but were unable to create anything substantial.
The win took Mumbai two points clear of Hyderabad FC at the top, while Chennaiyin FC stay in seventh place, still five points off the play-off spot.
The Islanders will face Odisha FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on January 2.
In another match played in Guwahati, NorthEast United FC ended their 10-match losing streak as they beat ATK Mohun Bagan 1-0 to pick up their first points of the season.
Striker Wilmar Jordan scored the lone goal of the match in the 69th minute. (PTI)
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