Mumbai Knights FC bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Sports Odisha, after experiencing their first defeat at the hands of East Bengal just two days prior.
Head coach Rutuja Gunwant decided to go with a 4-3-3 formation, with Kashmira as the goalkeeper. Pranita, Ritu, Afreen, and Mansi formed the back four, with Pranita and Mansi serving as fullbacks. The midfield three consisted of Velanie, Karen, and Sushmita, with Karen designated as the playmaker. Alexandra, Karishma, and Priyanka made up the front three for this match.
Both teams began the game cautiously, as they were coming off of different results from their previous games. Sports Odisha was wary of the fact that Mumbai Knights FC would be looking to rebound from their hard-fought 4-2 loss. However, Mumbai Knights suffered a setback when Anju scored a goal for Sports Odisha in the 34th minute, putting them ahead.
Mumbai Knights needed to respond, and they did so as Ritu Rani scored a goal in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, tying the game at 1-1. Sports Odisha thought they would take a 1-0 lead into halftime, but Mumbai Knights had the momentum on their side with a goal that late in the half. They made a bright start to the second half, winning a penalty immediately at the start.
Karishma confidently converted the spot-kick, making it 2-1 in favor of Mumbai Knights FC. Mumbai Knights made a couple of changes at the beginning of the second half, replacing Alexandra with Namrata Thakur, and in the 90th minute, Namrata was substituted for Janhavi Shetty. With another three points added to their tally, Mumbai Knights earned their third victory in five games and bounced back from their previous loss. They now have 10 points from five matches, just three points behind Gokulam Kerala FC, who won 14-1 against Kahaani FC.
East Bengal FC will play later in the day against Misaka United. Meanwhile, Mumbai Knights FC has a couple of days off and will return to action on Tuesday when they face HOPS FC at the Shahibaug Police Ground.
Whatsapp Group of Athletic India
