Punjab FC Wins 3-0 Against Mumbai City FC in Durand Cup
Punjab FC posted a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mumbai City FC in a Group C encounter of the 133rd Durand Cup at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. Norwegian player Mushaga Bakenga scored twice, and Filip Mrzljak added a goal in injury time.
Match Highlights
Punjab FC finished their group stage campaign with seven points, the same as Kerala Blasters. However, Kerala Blasters qualified for the knockouts as group winners due to their superior goal difference. Punjab FC, currently the best second-placed team, must wait for other match results to confirm their place in the knockouts.
Team Lineups and Strategy
Punjab FC Head Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis made two changes to his starting eleven, bringing in Croatian defender Ivan Novoselec and Nitesh Darjee. Mumbai City started Harsh Kadam in goal and Christopher Rajkumar upfront.
Game Play
Punjab FC started strong, putting pressure on Mumbai City. Despite early saves by Harsh Kadam, Punjab struggled to create meaningful chances. Mumbai City defended resiliently, frustrating Punjab FC. In the second half, Punjab received a penalty, but Luka Majcen missed. Bakenga finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute with a header. Punjab missed several opportunities but scored twice in added time, with Mrzljak and Bakenga sealing the 3-0 win.
Doubts Revealed
Punjab FC -: Punjab FC is a football (soccer) team from the state of Punjab in India.
Mumbai City FC -: Mumbai City FC is a football team from Mumbai, a big city in India.
Durand Cup -: The Durand Cup is a very old football tournament in India, and this year it is being held for the 133rd time.
Mushaga Bakenga -: Mushaga Bakenga is a football player who scored two goals for Punjab FC in this match.
Filip Mrzljak -: Filip Mrzljak is another football player who scored the third goal for Punjab FC.
knockout stage -: The knockout stage is the part of the tournament where teams play direct elimination matches to decide the winner.
Kerala Blasters -: Kerala Blasters is another football team from the state of Kerala in India.
goal difference -: Goal difference is the difference between the number of goals a team has scored and the number of goals they have conceded.
Panagiotis Dilmperis -: Panagiotis Dilmperis is the coach of Punjab FC who made important changes to the team’s lineup for this match.
