Mohun Bagan beat Punjab FC 4-3 on penalties as Miguel’s decisive spot-kick secured their IFA Shield final berth.

Mohun Bagan through to the finals, with Miguel giving the winning shot from the penalty spot. After Saturday’s historic clash between India and Brazil, football in Kolkata was sparked again with Mohun Bagan Super Giant taking on Punjab FC in the first semi-final of the IFA Shield.

Sunday afternoon in Kolkata, remained not so quiet. Despite heavy rain, fans gathered at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in large numbers, showcasing their passion towards their beloved team. As a few important players of Mohun Bagan are enjoying their time with the Indian camp, the challenge for Panagiotis Dilmperis was to maintain the midfield, which was certainly not solved in the match, continuing to haunt the Mariners. On the other hand, Punjab FC came in with a winning streak.

First half ends with a blow to Mohun Bagan

The match intensified from the start, with Mohun Bagan creating early opportunities. In the 8th minute, Ashish Ray injured himself and left the field when Bishu Sharma’s strong tackle stopped him just before the penalty box the ball deflected to Erwin but the referee’s whistle paused the gameplay. Soon, the game restarted with Abhishek Suryabhansi taking the field in place of Rai.

Lee Erwin took the free kick and missed by a margin as the ball hit straight into the woodwork. After that, both teams failed to create any chances. The penalty area again got engaged when Vishnu tried to take an attempt in the 36th minute but Mohun Bagan defence turned into an attack in a minute, Samir Zeljkovic provided a sweet cross to Chhangte which landed into the safe hands of Punjab goalkeeper Arshdeep Singh.

The story of the first half stayed calm with a few sparkling runs tightening hopes.

Deadlock continued into the second half

The deadlock continued till the end of the match. In the second half, Mohun Bagan substituted Liston Colaco and brought in Miguel Ferreira. Despite holding most of possession in the match, the Mariners failed to break down Punjab. For, Punjab Bishu continued showcasing a solid performance, in the 61st minute of the match he gave a pass to Moya but it only ended as a missed attempt. A ray of hope was raised, when Miguel sent a cross to Subhasis for a header and forced it into the goal but it resulted in offside and with that the match continued in extra time.

Mohun Bagan began their Shield campaign with a convincing win over Sreenidi Deccan FC, but since then, their performances have largely remained a talking point rather than a consistent display on the pitch. On paper, however, the Mariners remain a formidable side, just before the ISL, today’s gameplay raised so many questions.

After the match, Panos said, “With that performance, we will not be able to do well in the ISL.” He also expressed his frustration despite the win, saying, “We had to do an experiment throughout the match, we tried to place actual positions for the players, but Ashis Rai’s injury changed all scenarios.” He also questioned the refereeing and expressed his disappointment at not giving a red card for the foul on Ashish Ray.

Mohun Bagan through to the final with a 4-3 victory in the penalty shootout

Punjab FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant were locked in a dramatic penalty shootout. Meitei and Ashvir scored for Punjab, while Rahul Bheke, Subhashish Bose and Alberto Rodríguez kept Mohun Bagan ahead.

Punjab were dealt blows as Ngarin and Vishal missed, while Drazik also failed to convert for Mohun Bagan. Bikash kept Punjab alive, but it all came down to Miguel.

The Mohun Bagan player held his nerve and scored the decisive penalty, sending the Mariners through with a 4–3 shootout victory.

In the final, Mohun Bagan the availability of Ashish Rai will be a question as he got a cut in his right leg and he will need stitches. The IFA Shield final is expected to occur on the 8th October.