Defending champions Hyderabad and title contenders Mumbai City both secured a point each from their riveting clash to begin their Indian Super League 2022/23 campaign. The match ended in a 3-3 draw at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune.
City began the contest on the front foot, and they were close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute. Jorge Pereyra found Bipin Singh inside the box with a well-timed through ball. However, Bipin could only find the outside of the net from his effort, and it was a chance missed for the Islanders.
Mumbai opened the floodgates in the 23rd minute by drawing the first blood in the encounter. Excellent work from Bipin down the left flank saw him freeing past his markers and sending a low cross into the box that was deflected by Chinglensana into his own net for an own goal.
Hyderabad got back to level-pegging in the final minute of stoppage time in the first. Lalengmawia Ralte brought last season’s top scorer Bartholomew Ogbeche down inside the box to concede a penalty. Joao Victor stepped up to the spot and sent the opposition goalkeeper the wrong way to secure parity.
The game turned on its head five minutes into the second half when Chianese capitalised on a mistake from the opposition and fed Mohammad Yasir, who then played an inch-perfect pass to Halicharan Narzary. The striker slotted the ball home from close range.
The Islanders were denied an equaliser five minutes later when Laxmikant Kattimani made a great save off Bipin’s header. However, they managed to draw things once again when Greg Stewart got to the end of a sublime pass from Ahmed Jahouh to score his maiden goal for the Islanders at the 67th-minute mark.
The contest had further twists and turns in store for the fans as Hyderabad took the lead once again. Substitute Borja Herrera whipped a corner in towards the far post as Odei Onaindia headed the ball back across the goal before Victor nodded it in from close range to double his tally on the night.
However, just five minutes before the end of regulated time, substitute Alberto Noguera side-footed the ball home after good work from Bipin and Stewart to deny the defending champions the win.
On Saturday, Bengaluru kicked-off their Indian Super League campaign with a 1-0 victory over NorthEast United. Alan Costa scored the only goal in the 87th minute.
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