Mumbai City FC extend their unbeaten run to five games after a spectacular outing against Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Thursday night, taking them to the fifth spot in the Indian Super League (ISL).

The win over Jamshedpur meant that Mumbai maintained their perfect away record while ending Jamshedpur’s undefeated run at home this season. On the back of two consecutive victories, the Islanders seems to be coming to life under manager Jorge Costa who fielded the same playing XI from the last match which saw the team winning 3-2 against a sturdy Bengaluru side.

With this emphatic victory, Mumbai have extended their unbeaten run to five games and have Paulo Machado and Raynier Fernandes to thank for their subliminal goals against a quality side like Jamshedpur. Although Jamshedpur had 18 shots and kept close to 61% possession, Mumbai capitalized on the remotest opportunities available.

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A shaky beginning

Jorge Costa’s men were jolted by the resolve of the home side when in the second minute of the game, Jamshedpur’s number seven, Piti’s shot from distance went off target ringing alarm bells in the dugout. Mumbai started to get into the rhythm and were finally able to break the deadlock in the 15th minute of the game when the Portuguese midfielder Machado scored a clinical free kick that beat Subrata Paul at the near post.

Mumbai were fairly dictating the tempo of the game for the next few minutes but Piti’s corner in the 37th minute met the head of Jose Luis Arroyo who guided the ball at the back of the net, levelling the scores 1-1. At halftime, it looked like anyone’s game, but Jamshedpur looked like probable contenders to emerge victorious due to their dominance towards the end of the first half.

Machado’s masterclass

Despite scoring the free kick that gave Mumbai the lead, Machado was instrumental in the role of a defensive midfielder as well. The Portuguese made a total of 13 tackles in the game with three crucial interceptions all while maintaining a passing accuracy of 71%. Due to his impressive performances, Machado was named the ‘Hero of the Match.’

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Machado maintained his impeccable performance in the second half as well as Mumbai found a way to snuck in a second goal. Modou Sougou laid off a Machado pass on the edge of the area for the substitute Raynier who finished the move in a fashionable manner leaving the home fans in complete shock.

Mumbai led for the second time in the game and had to fight off the opposition fledging attacks one after the other. Jamshedpur saw more of the ball for the last half an hour but failed to create any goal scoring opportunities and succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at home.

This win leaves Mumbai three points adrift from the top as they play their next encounter against Hyderabad FC at home on December 29.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / @IndSuperLeague

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