ISL: NEUFC go down to Mumbai City in opener

Despite the overhaul in squad and staff for the tenth edition of Indian Super League, NorthEast United had to begin their campaign on a losing note, with a 2-1 defeat to last season’s record setters Mumbai City FC at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday.
Juan Pedro Benali’s men showed a lot of promise but their first rivals of the new league season, with some of the best Indian players and foreign recruits of ISL, proved to be better than them in every department as Des Buckimngham’s side took home the three points on offer.
Mumbai City never looked back after two first-half goals from Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 25th and 37th minutes as the Argentine stayed on the prey for a hat-trick until he was substituted in the 88th minute.
However, there were good signs for Benali as the young Parthib Gogoi, who was impressive en route their semifinal feat in Durand Cup, continued his blistering form in the attacking half and kept troubling the Mumbai City defenders.
It led to NEUFC’s only goal of the match – between Jorge’s two strikes – when the 20-year-old caught the Mumbai defence unaware as he shot in an Asheer Akhtar cross to bring parity in the match in the 31st minute.
Earlier, the first real chance of the match was created by the Highlanders when Gogoi’s right-footed shot, after an assist from Phalguni Singh – another bright talent for the northeast club, who was back on the field after losing his father in the morning – in the ninth minute from outside the box was saved at the bottom left corner.
However, it was mostly the League Shield champions who dominated possession as well as the play for most of the match. Lallianzuala Chhangte was in his creative self as he kept dodging NEUFC defenders and sending crosses into the opposition box from the right for Mumbai City attackers to capitalise on.
Bipin Singh did the same from the left flank but Lalengmawia Ralte’s right-footed shot to his cross was high and wide in the 13th minute.
However, Argentine Pereyra Diaz made up for the lost chances as he played his goal-poaching part when he was at the right place at the right time to guide in a Chhangte pass past the onrushing Mirshad Michu in the 27th minute.
While NEUFC came back strongly with an equaliser just four minutes later through Parthib, Pereyra Diaz got the lead back to Buckingham’s side when he shot in a Mehtab Singh header after a Mumbai City free-kick in the 37th minute.