Jamshedpur, April 4 (HS): Jamshedpur FC secured a surprising victory on Thursday night, taking a 1-0 lead in the second double-leg semi-final of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 against league shield winners Mohun Bagan Super Giants.

The home team, Jamshedpur FC, registered an upset victory over the favored Mohun Bagan Super Giants with a score of 2-1 in the first phase of the ISL 2024-25 semi-final, held at their home ground, the JRD Sports Complex. The standout performance came from Spanish striker Havi Sieverio, who scored in the 24th minute, followed by captain and Spanish attacking midfielder Havi Hernandez, who found the net in the 90+1 minute.

Havi Hernandez, the captain of the home team, was declared the Player of the Match for scoring the decisive goal and working hard throughout the game.

Jamshedpur's unexpected victory will surely please head coach Khalid Jamil, as it alleviates pressure on his team for the second phase of the semi-final set to take place at Salt Lake Stadium. Meanwhile, despite being favorites to win, Mohun Bagan Super Giants will face disappointment from their Spanish head coach Jose Molina due to the necessity of winning by a significant margin at home in their upcoming match.

The first goal of the match came in the 24th minute when Spanish striker Havi Sieverio gave Jamshedpur FC an early lead, making the score 1-0. From a throw-in on the left side of the attacking third, left-back Mohammad Owais threw the ball into the box, where Nigerian center-back Stephen flicked the ball with a header from near post to the far post. Sieverio, present in the dangerous six-yard area, executed a precise header that hit the bottom corner of the goal post, leaving Mohun Bagan Super Giants' goalkeeper Vishal Kaith with no chance to defend.

In the 37th minute, Australian forward Jason Cummings scored a spectacular goal from a free-kick, leveling the match at 1-1 for Mohun Bagan Super Giants. From a free-kick awarded in the attacking third, Jason struck a powerful left-footed shot from approximately 35 yards, sending the ball into the top right corner of the net, while Jamshedpur FC's goalkeeper Albino Gomes failed to save it despite diving to his left.

During the four minutes of stoppage time, in the 90+1 minute, the host team's captain and Spanish attacking midfielder Havi Hernandez scored a goal, giving Jamshedpur FC the lead again and making the score 2-1. During a counter-attack, substitute winger Ritwik Das made a pass from outside the box on the left side, where captain Hernandez, who sprinted into the box, struck a crisp left-footed shot on his first touch, sending the ball straight into the net. Although goalkeeper Vishal Kaith tried to save it by diving to his left, he was unsuccessful.

The first half was competitive, as the host team took the lead with a goal from Spanish striker Havi Civerio, while Mohun Bagan Super Giant equalized thanks to a goal from Australian forward Jason Cummings.

Consequently, both teams went into the half-time break with a score of 1-1. Mohun Bagan Super Giant had more ball control at 74 percent. They made three attempts, one of which was on target and resulted in a goal. Meanwhile, the Red Miners, who had 26 percent possession, made four attempts, three of which were on target, with one leading to a goal.

In the second half, Jamshedpur displayed an excellent performance. Captain and Spanish attacking midfielder Havi Hernandez scored in the 90+1 minute, giving Jamshedpur a 2-1 lead, which turned out to be the decisive score.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar