Kochi: A late goal from Amine Chermiti saw Mumbai City FC stun Kerala Blasters FC 1-0 in a closely-fought Hero Indian Super League clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Thursday.
The teams had several half chances to break the deadlock but lacked an end product for most of the game until Chermiti’s smart 82nd-minute finish settled the contest. While the result meant Mumbai start their season with a win, it was also their first-ever victory over Kerala Blasters in Kochi.
Kerala Blasters struggled to test Amrinder Singh early on while Mumbai resorted to aerial balls and floating crosses into the box at the other end. A Diego Carlos cross into the box from the right flank in the 10th minute had the home defence under pressure but Mohamed Larbi’s weak header fell straight into the hands of goalkeeper Bilal Khan. Mumbai continued to threaten and Carlos outpaced Jessel Carneiro on the right flank again in the 19th minute.
This time around, the former FC Pune City player attempted a powerful strike from a tight angle, forcing Bilal Khan to come up with a reflex save at his near post. At the other end, a foul by Souvik Chakrabarti allowed Sergio Cidoncha to swing a free-kick into the box from the left a few minutes later. (PTI)
