Here are the games this week, with their reports below (latest match first):
May 15: Mohammedan SC vs Mumbai City FC (7:30pm)
May 16: Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC (5pm)
May 16: Odisha FC vs Punjab FC (7:30pm)
May 17: SC Delhi vs Inter Kashi (5pm)
May 17: Mohun Bagan SG vs East Bengal FC (7:30pm)
May 18: Kerala Blasters FC vs FC Goa (7:30pm)
May 19: NorthEast United FC vs Mohammedan SC (5pm)
May 21: Jamshedpur FC vs Odisha FC (5pm)
May 21: Punjab FC vs Mumbai City FC (5pm)
May 21: Inter Kashi vs East Bengal FC (7:30pm)
May 21: Mohun Bagan SG vs SC Delhi (7:30pm)
Mohammedan SC 0 - 4 Mumbai City FC
(Sahil Panwar 1', Puipuia 8', Sajad Parray (OG) 25', Brandon Fernandes 79')
Mumbai City FC drew level on points with league leaders East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, after a 4-0 rout of Mohammedan SC. Petr Kratky's side rose from seventh in the table to third (trailing the Kolkata giants on goal difference), while Mohammedan remained rooted to the bottom of the table and saw their relegation confirmed with the defeat.
It took seconds for Mumbai City to open the scoring as Sahil Panwar stroked the ball into the net at the near post following an early corner from Puipuia. Petr Kratky's side could have been 3-0 up inside five minutes, but Lallianzuala Chhangte and Vikram Partap Singh screwed their headers wide as the visitors looked to assert their dominance. They didn't have to wait long however, as Puipuia made it 2-0 in the eighth minute. Charging through the middle, the Mumbai City midfielder played a 1-2 with Chhangte on the edge of the box, before stroking the ball into the bottom corner. Mumbai retained their dominance against a hapless Mohammedan and a horror own goal from Sajad Parray made it 3-0 in the 25th minute. A routine long ball up the field saw Vikram race past the backline and get a shot off on goal, which squirmed under goalkeeper Padam Chettri and bobbled in the box, only for Sajad to miscue with his weaker right foot and send the ball straight into his own net. The drinks break seemed to reinvigorate Mohammedan as they grew into the game in the latter stages of the half, with Hira Mondal almost scoring from a corner on the stroke of half-time. However, Mumbai retained their 3-0 lead going into the break.
It was a more even contest at the start of the second half, and Thokchom Adison Singh nearly reduced the arrears in the 59th minute with a powerful shot from range which tested TP Rehenesh in the Mumbai goal. Brandon Fernandes spurned a great chance soon after, as Vikram found him in space in the box with a low cross, but the Mumbai midfielder only shot straight at Chettri. The Mohammedan keeper had to be at his best in the 68th minute, denying Chhangte from a one-on-one situation after PN Noufal put him through. The game was temporarily called off in the 72nd minute after a heavy downpour and resumed almost an hour later. Chhangte proved he had not lost a step minutes after play resumed, with a hammer of a strike from range, that Chettri did superbly to tip onto the bar. Mumbai completed the rout in the 79th minute via Brandon Fernandes, who guided the ball into the net after Noufal's cutback from the left wing.
Mumbai spurned a couple more opportunities late on, but confirmed Mohammedan's relegation into the IFL as the final whistle blew.
