Mumbai City won their second ISL League Shield with a thumping 5-3 win over hosts FC Goa at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, on Saturday.
The Shield is awarded to the team with the maximum points after the league stage. Mumbai City, with the win over FC Goa, took their tally to 46 points, the highest-ever in an ISL season and mathematically beyond the grasp of Hyderabad FC, which is second with 36 from 17 games.
In the process, Mumbai City also broke FC Goa’s record of 51 goals in an ISL season with at least four games left in the bank.
FC Goa were determined not to make Mumbai’s title charge easy, trying to beat them with their own attacking method.
They found success with this approach as early as the fifth minute. A long free-kick found its way to Noah Sadaoui, who danced past three defenders and composed himself to put the home team ahead.
In the 18th minute, the visitors were gifted a free-kick just outside the box in a central position. Greg Stewart stepped up and hit a powerful left-footed shot to Dheeraj Singh’s near post to beat his outstretched right hand.