Ratings: Lachenpa, van Nieff shine as Mumbai City lose to Al Hilal

This was Mumbai City’s fourth straight defeat in the AFC Champions League.

Mumbai City FC went down fighting to a 2-0 loss to Al Hilal at the DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai in the AFC Champions League on Monday, 6 November. The Islanders showed great resolve, but second-half goals from Michael (62′) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (85′) helped the visitors get a comfortable win and stay atop of group D – as well as eliminate the Islanders from the competition.

Here are the player ratings for the game.

Mumbai City FC (By Atawaris Warsi)

Phurba Lachenpa – 8

The Mumbai City FC goalkeeper emerged as the standout performer for Des Buckingham’s squad, dazzling with a series of breathtaking saves that held the Al Hilal forwards at bay for an extended period.

Rahul Bheke – 6

Mumbai City FC’s captain displayed unwavering determination, battling relentlessly against the formidable Saudi players right until the final whistle.

Tiri – 6

Tiri delivered an impressive performance against the four-time AFC Champions League winners. He expertly cleared numerous dangerous balls, dominated in several aerial duels, and showcased commendable skill and resilience on the field.

Mehtab Singh – 5.5

Mehtab formed a solid partnership with Tiri and Rostyn Griffiths, showcasing great synergy on the field. However, his performance was marred by the red card he received early in the second half, which proved to be a significant setback.

Rostyn Griffiths – 6.5

The defender showed great resilience alongside his defending partners Tiri and Mehtab Singh. He also was one of those players for the Islanders who put his everything on line.

Akash Mishra – 6

It wasn’t one of Akash’s standout performances. While he had a strong first half, his performance took a sharp downturn in the second half. A lapse in his man-marking led to Mumbai City FC conceding the first goal, which proved to be a costly mistake.

Yoell van Nieff – 7

He brilliantly bridged the gap between defence and attack for the Islanders, showing remarkable versatility. Not only did he excel in connecting the two units, but he also delivered a strong defensive performance, consistently stepping up when his team needed him the most.

Greg Stewart – 6.5

The Scottish international had a few brilliant moments throughout the game, but nothing much to capitalise on. He was substituted in the second half.

Apuia – 5.5

Apuia was too focused on Ruben Neves. The midfielder seemed perplexed a lot throughout the game.

Lallianzuala Chhangte – 6.5

The attacker had a rather average game and was eventually substituted late in the second half.

Jorge Pereyra Diaz –  5

The forward didn’t quite hit his peak performance against Al Hilal. Although he had a couple of opportunities, he struggled to capitalize on them and appeared to be off his usual form.

Substitutes

Vikram Partap Singh –  5

Vikram couldn’t change the Islanders’ fate and had a pretty lacklustre game.

Bipin Singh –  6

The substitute couldn’t make the most of the minutes he had on the field. Instead of prioritizing the attack, he seemed more focused on defending, which limited his impact on the offensive play.

Vinit Rai –  N/A

Al Hilal (by Uttiyo Sarkar)

Mohammed Alowais – 6.5

Didn’t have to technically save many shots, but his impressive ability to come off his line and collect crosses ruined a lot of early moves for Mumbai City.

Saud Abdulhamid – 6.5

Frustrated Bipin Singh with some commendable defending and neutralized Mumbai’s threat through his side.

Kalidou Koulibaly – 7.0

Rattled by Diaz’s electric movement early on, but grew more commanding as the game progressed. Helped his side keep a clean-sheet, winning four duels and making two tackles.

Hassan Altambakti – 7.0

Maintained a pretty solid backline and helped his side recover from the shaky start. Won a lot of key duels as the game progressed.

Mohammed Alburayk – 7.5

A troublesome figure on the left, Alburayk created three major chances and set up the opener. Troubled by Chhangte initially, but took control as he grew in confidence.

Mohamed Kanno – 8.0

A proactive figure in moving the ball around, Kanno making 112 passes in the game. Kept things ticking really impressively and dominated the opposition midfielders.

Ruben Neves – 7.5

Neves thrived in his free midfield role, moving into pockets of space to cause danger. Efficiently moved the ball around and created a few prominent chances.

Michael – 8.5

The winger caused trouble with his movement all game long and produced a really clinical finish to put his side in the lead and break Mumbai City’s resolve.

Malcom – 8.0

The Brazilian created quite a few nice chances with his innovative passes and was an energetic figure in the attacking areas. Set up Mitrovic’s goal on a plate with a perfect cross.

Salem Al-Dawsari – 6.0

Al-Dawsari was a threat with his clever movement on the wings and managed to get himself in some key areas to deliver shots on goal. But unfortunately, all his efforts were thwarted.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – 7.5

Mitrovic was a menace with his physicality and positioned himself in the right areas to destabilize the opposition backline. Saw his resolve pay off with a clever late header to seal the win.

Substitutes

Yasir Al Shahrani – 6.0

Added more defensive steel and ensured that the Islanders couldn’t pop up a surprise towards the end.

Nasser Al Dawsari – 6.5

Added more energy to his side’s game and was also able to create a few late chances.

Ali Al-Boleahi – N/A

Saleh Al-Shehri – N/A

Mohammed Al Qahtani – N/A

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