Ratings: Stewart, Diaz do the impossible to help Mumbai City win

Luka Majcen scored the only goal for Punjab FC

Mumbai City FC and Punjab FC locked horns in the Gameweek 6 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24. Both teams gave every ounce of their energy, but it was The Islanders that edged the tussle.

Punjab had taken the lead in the 38th minute, thanks to Greg Stewart’s mistake and Luka Majcen’s exquisite shot. But, the Islanders bounced back, as Stewart resurrected himself by scoring the equalizing goal and then Jorge Pereyra Diaz gave the lead.

Here are the player ratings:

Mumbai City FC (By Atawaris Warsi)

Mohammad Nawaz – 6.5

The Mumbai City FC goalkeeper had some brilliant moments in both the halves. He saved an excellent shot from Luka Majcen. Nawaz could have done it better to save the goal. 

Rahul Bheke – 6

The defender did not have the best match. Although he did have command on the ball, but nothing much to capitalize on. 

Tiri – 7

The center back was strong and commanding in the defense. He won several aerial duels. 

Mehtab Singh – 6.5

Mehtab partnered well with Tiri in the back line. He gave a tough time to the Punjab attackers. 

Akash Mishra – 6

The left back troubled the Punjab defenders on several occasions. Pretty much the number 31 had a good game. 

Rostyn Griffiths – 6.5

Although he received a yellow card, but the center back turned defensive midfielder put on a great effort throughout the game. 

Greg Stewart – 7

His mistake cost Mumbai City FC a goal. But, he surely resurrected himself in the second half and equalized for his team. 

Apuia – 6.5

Apuia looked strong in the midfield. Controlled the tempo of the game and was very effective in the attacking third. He took several shots and was a menace for the Punjab defenders. 

Bipin Singh – 6.5

The winger threatened The Punjab defenders on the wings. Put on some crosses and also captivated pretty well. 

Jorge Pereyra Diaz – 7.5

The striker looked sharp throughout the match, especially in the second half. As soon as Mumbai equalized, Jorge pounced a minute later and gave Mumbai the lead. 

Vikram Partap – 6

Had a decent first half. Vikram received a yellow early on in the game. He was substituted in the second half. 

Substitutes

Lallianzuala Chhangte – 6.5

His substitution sparked the Mumbai City FC team. Chhangte added the pace and runs The Islanders were missing in the first half. 

Jayesh Rane – 6

Controlled the Islanders’ midfield after taking the lead and did it very well. 

Vinit Rai – 5.5

Got around 10 minutes at the end of the match. He substituted goalscorer Jorge Pereyra Diaz in the 90th minute.

Punjab FC (By: Analoy Majumder)

Ravi Kumar: 5.5

Ravi Kumar had a fair game in the first half but then had to concede two consecutive goals in the final quarter. Surely he could have done better from the goals he conceded.

Nikhil Prabhu: 6.5

Nikhil Prabhu did well in the backline and did not allow much space for the Islanders to come and attack within the box. Looked confident while tackling 

Dimitrios Chatziisaias: 7.0

Dimitrios did absolutely well in the defensive line of Punjab today, made a couple of important blockings and clearances in front of the goal and won a number of ground duels against Diaz and Stewart within the backline.

Krishnananda: 6.5

Krishnananda from the start did well against Vikram and Bipin operating from the middle. Later on, he also provided strong defensive reinforcement in the backline and engaged in a steady struggle with Akash Mishra.

Madih Talal: 6.0

Madih Tala did not come under much attention within the first half, made a couple of good passes and tried to build up the play from the middle playing alongside Juan Mera.

K. Lhungdim: 6.5

Lhungdim was decent enough at the back as he was able to keep the Mumbai City FC forwards under bay. His well positioning at the back helped Punjab FC to be rigid when it came to defending crosses and set pieces. 

Juan Mera: 7.0

Juan Mera was quite creative, gave his all to create goal scoring chances for Punjab tonight. Came close to scoring and also focused on building more attacking chances for his team. 

Ashis Pradhan: 6.5

In today’s encounter, Ashis Pradhan showed off his adept ball control qualities. He tried many times to hit the back of the net with defence-splitting passes, but sadly, there wasn’t enough forward movement up top to take advantage of those chances.

Nitesh Darjee: 6.5

The other three men in the backline received strong defensive assistance from Nitesh Darjee. He made a couple runs with the ball during counterattacks and had a respectable game on the field. 

Suresh Meitei: 6.5

Suresh brought in more defensive stability, by winning possession against the Mumbai City FC forwards and also came for overlapping while creating chances for attack and made his channel more operative and active.

Luka Majcen: 7.5

Luka Majcen was outstanding; he looked deadly right away, drove perilously close to goal, and scored Punjab’s first goal to give his club the lead.

Substitutes

Brandon: 6.5

Staikos substituted Brandon for Krishnananda Singh in the middle to add more control and keep the play moving. In an attempt to increase their lead against the Islanders, he collaborated well with Daniel and Luka Majcen to get near to the goal.

Daniel: 6.5

Juan Mera made his way out for Daniel before the last quarter and this move from Staikos signified that he wanted more goals. Daniel performed admirably and paired well with Majcen in creating scoring chances. 

Mashoor Shereef: 5.0

Mashoor Shereef brought in fresh legs to the team but left no such noticeable impact. 

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.