Given the option, Mohun Bagan Super Giant's coach, Antonio Lopez Habas, would undoubtedly have preferred to schedule the ISL derby for March 10. The Spanish coach would have aimed to capitalize on the team's momentum following their convincing 3-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC at the Salt Lake Stadium on Friday.
With goals from Dimitri Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Armando Sadiku, the hosts secured a comfortable win, propelling them to the second position on the table with 33 points, just two points behind leaders Odisha FC, who have played one more game.
The pivotal role played by Bagan's Manvir Singh was evident, as his unstoppable runs down the right flank created opportunities for all three goals.
Bagan took the lead early in the seventh minute when Joni Kauko found Manvir on the right, who skillfully assisted Petratos with a cutback, allowing the Australian to slot the ball into the far corner of the net from inside the box.
Although the hosts had chances to extend their lead, Liston Colaco's attempt was thwarted by goalkeeper TP Rehenesh. Despite Jamshedpur's spirited attacks, they failed to find the back of the net.
In the second half, Deepak Tangri received a yellow card for a rough tackle, prompting Habas to substitute him with Aniruddh Thapa. This change proved fruitful as Cummings doubled the lead in the 68th minute, once again assisted by Manvir, who provided the pass for the Australian to score from close range.
Coming on as a substitute in the 70th minute, Armando Sadiku effectively sealed the victory for Bagan by netting in the 81st minute from inside the box, with the assist once again provided by Manvir.
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