Fatorda (Goa) [India], October 28 (HBTV): Mumbai City FC sealed a commanding 4-1 victory over Sporting Club Delhi in the Group D opener of the AIFF Super Cup 2025–26 at the PJN Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on Monday.
The Islanders showcased their trademark attacking dominance, with Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Vikram Partap Singh, and Jorge Ortiz each scoring in the first half. Despite conceding three goals early, the newcomers showed resilience in the second half, pulling one back through an Andrei Alba penalty. However, Vikram added Mumbai City's fourth deep into stoppage time to seal the win.
Mumbai City FC maintained complete control in the first half, with the breakthrough coming as early as the sixth minute. Lallianzuala Chhangte’s free-kick from the right flank was met by a clever headed assist from Tiri inside the box, finding Jorge Pereyra Diaz, who calmly chested the ball past SC Delhi goalkeeper Karanjit Singh.
The Islanders doubled their lead soon after through Vikram Partap Singh, who latched onto a Jon Toral ball on the overlap and found the top corner with a curling strike. Minutes later, Ortiz found space inside the box and attempted a long-range shot, highlighting SC Delhi’s defensive vulnerability.
In the 29th minute, SC Delhi came close to scoring when Alba’s free-kick narrowly missed the post. However, another defensive lapse in the 32nd minute proved costly, as Vikram surged down the left flank and delivered a cross that Karanjit parried, only for Ortiz to react quickly and score Mumbai City’s third.
SC Delhi returned in the second half with renewed determination, creating chances down the left flank. In the 56th minute, Isaac Vanmalsawma and Augustine Lalrochana combined well to send in dangerous crosses, but Akash Mishra intervened to clear the threat.
The Red Brigade continued to press high and nearly scored in the 73rd minute when Ayush Adhikari’s corner just missed Alex Saji’s head. A minute later, Adhikari’s driving run into the box resulted in a foul by Dhruv Alva, earning SC Delhi a penalty. Andrei Alba converted the 75th-minute spot-kick into the bottom corner to record SC Delhi’s first-ever goal.
Ultimately, Mumbai City restored their three-goal advantage in stoppage time when Vikram raced forward to meet a Brandon Fernandes through ball and fired a fierce shot that struck the underside of the crossbar before going in, completing his brace and securing the victory.
(ANI)