ISL 2020-21 semis: Mumbai come back twice to claim draw vs Goa in entertaining first leg

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:09 am

Hugo Boumous celebrates after equalising for Mumbai City vs FC Goa.
Hugo Boumous celebrates after equalising for Mumbai City vs FC Goa.
Faheem Hussain / Sportzpics for ISL

Goals from Hugo Boumous and Mourtada Fall helped Mumbai City FC come back twice to earn a 2-2 draw against FC Goa in the first leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 semi-finals at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Friday.

Goa broke the deadlock through Igor Angulo's penalty (20') before his goal was cancelled out by Boumous' superb volley in the 38th minute. Goa took the lead again through Saviour Gama (59') but Mourtada Fall (62') netted a vital equaliser to help Sergio Lobera's side earn a draw.

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With no away goal rule this season, extra time and penalties would decide which team progresses to the final if the aggregate score is tied after the second leg, which is set to take place on Monday.

Goa dominated the first half and fashioned better chances, forcing Mumbai keeper Amrinder Singh into an early save in the fifth minute. Jorge Ortiz's cutback found Gama whose effort was parried away for a corner.

Goa had a strong shout for a penalty early on, when Alexander Jesuraj went down under a challenge from Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, but no foul was given. Moments later, Goa were awarded a spot kick when Mandar Rao Dessai clipped Jorge Ortiz in the box. Angulo then sent Amrinder the wrong way to notch his 13th goal of the season.

Mumbai City's Mourtada Fall celebrates after scoring against former side FC Goa.
Mumbai City's Mourtada Fall celebrates after scoring against former side FC Goa.
Vipin Pawar / Sportzpics for ISL

Goa were forced to make a substitution soon after the half-hour mark when Seriton Fernandes was stretchered off, replaced by youngster Leander D'Cunha, who made his first ISL appearance.

Boumous then came back to haunt his former team, getting at the end of an Ahmed Jahouh free-kick to score with a superb volley into the bottom corner to mark his return, after a four-game ban.

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Mumbai dominated the proceedings after the break but Goa scored against the run of play around the hour mark, after a stunning solo goal from Gama. The full-back made a marauding run at the heart of Mumbai defence before unleashing a long-range shot that found the bottom right corner.

But their lead lasted for three minutes as Fall, the man who scored the winner to hand Mumbai the League Winners Shield against ATK Mohun Bagan, found the net again. Jahouh's cross found an unmarked Fall, who placed his header into the back of the net with ease.