FC Goa beat Mumbai City FC 5-2 in high-scoring match to go three points clear at the top of the Indian Super League table, in Magrao, on Wednesday.
Mumbai City did put up a fight but Goa were clinical enough to notch up an emphatic win.
Rowllin Borges (18th) handed Mumbai the lead before Ferran Corominas (20th), Hugo Boumous (38th) and Jackichand Singh (39th) handed the initiative to FC Goa.
Though Bipin Singh (57th) pulled a goal back for Mumbai, Coro (80th) struck again before Mohammed Rafique scored an own goal in the 87th minute to seal the win for FC Goa.
The victory saw FC Goa remain on course to clinch the top spot in the league while Mumbai remain four points ahead of fifth-placed Chennaiyin FC who have played two games less.
FC Goa made a sloppy start to the game, giving the ball away cheaply in their defensive half far too many times. Mumbai duly took advantage and took the lead in the 18th minute.
A long ball into the box was not cleared by FC Goa defenders. Subhasish Bose got to the ball and set up Borges inside the box whose drive took a deflection before settling in the back of the net.
FC Goa's response was swift and lethal. In the 20th minute, Jackichand sent the ball from the right wing. Boumous managed to nod the ball forward which Corominas lashed home on the volley from close range.
Mumbai tried to mount a response but were unable to force a proper opening. FC Goa grew in confidence and punished Mumbai with two quick goals before half-time.
In the 38th minute, a corner from Brandon Fernandes was nodded towards Boumous by Carlos Pena. The Moroccan reacted quickly to direct it into the far corner to hand the Gaurs the lead.
In the very next minute, Coro drove forward and slipped Jackichand in on the right who chipped a brilliant finish into the box to stun the away side.
Jorge Costa's charges started the second half with renewed vigour and got a goal back in the 57th minute when Borges kept a clearance alive on the right-wing before cutting it back for Bipin whose first time shot rippled the net.
Mumbai kept pushing and should have scored more. FC Goa goalkeeper Mohammed Nawaz was forced to make two good saves, off a long ranger from Borges and off a header from Modou Sougou, in quick succession.
FC Goa, though, hit Mumbai on the counter yet again to put the game to bed. A rapid move saw Boumous slip Coro through on goal and he expertly finished past Amrinder Singh to make it 4-2.
Mumbai were dealt the killer blow in the 87th minute when Coro's attempted shot was blocked away. It fell for Lenny Rodrigues who slammed a cross straight into Rafique and the ball deflected into the goal.
Bengaluru FC rout Paro FC of Bhutan 9-1, to face Maziya of Maldives in AFC Cup play-off round
Semboi Haokip and Deshorn Brown scored a hat-trick each as Indian Super League champions Bengaluru FC crushed Paro FC of Bhutan 9-1 in the second leg match to win 10-1 on aggregate and reach the final stage of the qualifying round of the AFC Cup in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru, who had won 1-0 in the first leg in Thimphu, toyed with their opponents from Bhutan in a goal-fest at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
This was Bengaluru FC's biggest ever win. They now face Maziya Sports and Recreation Club of Maldives in the two-legged play-offs round for a place in the group stage of the continent's second tier club competition.
The first leg of the play-offs will be played in Maldives on February 19 while Bengaluru will host the second leg on February 26.
Haokip, who had also scored Bengaluru's lone goal in Thimphu, struck four times -- in the sixth, 26th, 67th and 85th minutes -- while Jamaican Brown was on target thrice (29th, 54th and 64th). The other two goals for Bengaluru was scored by defender Juanan Gonzalez (14th) and Nili Perdomo (79th).
For Paro FC, former Blues winger Chencho Gyeltshen scored the consolation goal in the 16th minute.
Skipper Sunil Chhetri continued to be rested as a he's carrying a muscle injury while nippy winger Udanta Singh came as a substitute late in the match.
After Suresh Wangjam had two shots at the Paro goal, the Blues did not have to wait for long as Haokip struck in the sixth minute. Erik Paartalu's long ball fell to Haokip, whose shot was not be collected cleanly by the 'keeper and the striker stabbed home at the second attempt.
In the 14th minute, defender Juanan rose highest to connect a Nili Perdomo corner kick into the top corner of the Paro FC net.
To minutes later, Paro FC pulled one back and it was former Blues' winger Chencho Gyeltshen, who cut past Gursimrat Singh Gill and fired into the top corner of the Bengaluru net.
Haokip put Bengaluru in the lead again in the 26th minute. Nili whipped in another cross from the right that Haokip towers high to nod past Tobgay.
Bengaluru's ascendency continued while Paro FC began to wilt under constant attack from the opposition. It was the turn of Jamaican Brown who put his name in the score sheet to make it 4-1.
Brown scored his second of the day in the 54th minute with Nili providing the assist and then completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later off a pass from Kean Lewis.
As if taking a cue from Brown, Haokip also scored his third goal of the day in the 67th minute, with Brown this time playing the role of a supplier.
It was a long night for Paro FC and their woes continued with Nili scoring his first of the match as he bulged the Paro FC net in the 79th minute, off an assist from Haokip who struck his fourth of the day in the 85th minute for a massive win for the home side.
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