Rodriguez scores brace as Mohun Bagan comes from behind to beat 10-man Punjab FC

Rodriguez scores brace as Mohun Bagan comes from behind to beat 10-man Punjab FC

Mohun Bagan Super Giant returned to winning ways with a 3-1 comeback win over Punjab FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season on Thursday.

Punjab FC struck first, courtesy of a great strike from Ricky Shabong whereas the Mariners retaliated with a strong second-half performance which saw Alberto Rodriguez score a brace while Jamie Maclaren converted from the spot.

It was a swift start for the host as Nikhil Prabhu tried his luck from long range and struck the crossbar, handing the Mohun Bagan defenders and Vishal Kaith a wake-up call early on.

In the 12th minute of the match, the visitor was again caught ball-watching and this time Punjab FC made it pay, courtesy of a brilliant solo effort from Ricky. The young midfielder found a pocket of space on the left flank and drove forward. He eventually nestled the ball into the net past Kaith as the defenders failed to close down the space in the penalty area.

The away team almost came up with the equaliser when Asish Rai found himself in space and made a great volley on target. But Punjab FC custodian Ravi Kumar was alert to the danger as he parried it away.

While the Mariners were clearly lacking a creative outlet on the field, Punjab FC’s all-Indian backline also made life difficult for Jason Cummings and Maclaren upfront. The most impressive of the lot was Pramveer Singh, who became the youngest player to start an ISL match at the age of 17 years and 189 days.

The second half started strongly for the visitor as Rodriguez rose highest from a corner delivered by Cummings to turn in the equaliser in the 48th minute. It was an excellent delivery as the Spaniard reacted before Ravi Kumar to head it home. This was Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s seventh goal from a corner this season, the highest in the competition.

Three minutes later, things turned from bad to worse for Punjab FC as Ezequiel Vidal was penalised for a challenge on Liston Colaco. He was initially booked for the foul and was later sent off for dissent, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Jose Molina’s men were rewarded for their persistent pressure as the referee pointed to the spot after Anirudh Thapa was brought down in the penalty area. Maclaren stood up to the spot and hammered it home, handing Mohun Bagan Super Giant the lead in the 63rd minute.

Eventually, it scored the third goal in the 69th minute when Thapa turned creator following a corner and found Rodriguez in space in the penalty area. The Spaniard made no mistake in completing his brace.

The visitor did enough to secure all three points as it ended its year five points clear atop, with 29 points as compared to the second-placed Bengaluru FC’s 24.