Two Malayalis show Kerala Blasters the way out of Super Cup as Mohun Bagan advance

Bhubaneswar: Mohun Bagan Super Giants yet again proved why they were crowned the Indian Super League champions. The Kolkata side knocked Kerala Blasters out of the Super Cup with a thrilling 2-1 victory in the quarterfinal.

Sahal Abdul Samad and Ashique Kuruniyan were instrumental in Bagan's victory, with one scoring a goal and the latter providing an assist. Sahal scored in the 23rd minute to gift Bagan the lead. The tally was completed by Suhail Ahmad Bhat in the 51st minute with Ashique providing the assist. Blasters' only goal was scored by another Malayali, Sreekuttan MS, in the extra time. 

With the win, Bagan advance to the Super Cup semifinals, boosting their chances of completing a domestic treble. Mohun Bagan had previously clinched the ISL title and the ISL Shield for finishing at the top of the points table.

Kerala Blasters dominated the second half, creating back-to-back chances in search of a goal. However, luck wasn't on their side as the strikers struggled with finishing. Despite Kerala making 13 attempts in the second half alone, only five were on target.

Bagan's defence stood firm, denying the Blasters the much-needed goal. In the 62nd minute, Jesus Jimenez found space inside the box, but Bagan goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh rushed off his line and got a touch on the ball, snuffing out the opportunity for Blasters. 

Another opportunity came knocking in the 66th minute, when skipper Milos Drincic passed the ball from the centre half to Vibin Mohanan. Spotting a gap in the Bagan defence, Vibin cleverly passed the ball through two defenders to Jimenez. However, the striker sent the ball sailing over the crossbar. 

Vibin, Sreekuttan, and Jimenez continuously raided the Bagan box, but were denied a goal until the fourth minute of added time. Sreekuttan latched onto a rebound from Jiménez and smashed the ball into the net, leaving Dheeraj helpless. But his effort came too late for the Blasters, who couldn’t find another goal to take them into the Super Cup semifinal.

Earlier, Bagan enjoyed the majority of the possession during the first half of the game and consistently tested the Blasters' defence. However, the Kerala backline stood firm, successfully blocking multiple attempts on goal.

A breakthrough for Bagan came in the 23rd minute when Salahudheen Adnan advanced from the right flank, dribbling past Noacha Singh. He passed the ball to Sahal, who took two clever touches inside the box before slotting it past the keeper.

​The Blasters intensified their efforts to score in the first half and keenly felt the absence of captain Adrian Luna in the middle. However, Vibin and Aimen's combined efforts to raid the Bagan box only lacked luck, as the ball sailed just over the goalkeeper's head.

Bagan sealed the game early in the second half. In the 51st minute, Ashique dribbled past Hormipam on the left, creating space for Suhail. The young winger seized the opportunity, racing onto the ball and slotting it into the net to give Bagan the lead.