Churchill Brothers vs Mumbai City FC Player Ratings: Gaurav Bora & Vincy Barretto shine as Brandon disappoints
Churchill Brothers beat the Islanders 2-1 in their maiden ISL fixture at Fatorda.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa geared up to host the fourth game of the opening matchweek of the Indian Super League 2026-27 season as home team Churchill Brothers and Mumbai City FC locked horns in what was a thrilling contest between the two sides.
The game began with the Islanders exerting their dominance from the first minute. Brandon Fernandes and Wilmar Jordan Gil came close to breaking the deadlock, but there was no proper conversion.
Churchill had their fair share of chances in the first half. Lekay came agonisingly close in the first half but there was no goal in the first half. It took a moment of brilliance from Gaurav Bora, who scored a header to put Churchill ahead in the second half. Bora scored Churchill’s first-ever ISL goal.
Mumbai tried to pull off the equaliser. Manolo Marquez brought on Lazar Cirkovic and Farukh, but all in vain as the Red Machines had full control of the game. In the 87th minute, Sebastian scored another goal to make it 2-0.
The Islanders won a penalty in the final few minutes, and Sergio Llamas converted it to make it 2-1. But the consolation goal was not enough as Churchill Brothers won the game against Mumbai City FC 2-1.
Churchill Brothers Player Ratings (By Saikat Sengupta)
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Kadir – 7/10
Kadir did a pretty impressive job to keep his clean sheet in the first half despite Mumbai creating a lot of chances via Brandon, Wilmar Jordan Gil and Otormin.
He made a crucial stop to deny Brandon the opener. But apart from that, Mumbai’s attack looked less clinical for him to make any intervention.
Dramane Salou – 7.5/10
Salou was the backbone of Churchill’s midfield tonight. He controlled the tempo and pace of the game and was slowly building attack from behind.
His superior physicality helped him to win ground and aerial duels in the centre of the park.
Angou – 6/10
Angou took a few set pieces, but they hardly created any real chances. He contributed a lot defensively as Churchill Brothers did a brilliant job of keeping a clean sheet tonight.
He gave away a penalty in the final few moments of the game.
Kingslee Fernandes – 6/10
A decent performance from the captain who was seen fighting for every ball in the midfield and final third. He was subbed off in the first few minutes of the second half as Trijoy Dias made way for him.
Wayde Lekay – 7/10
The South African striker created a lot of chances tonight.
He has shown flashes of attacking intent for Churchill Brothers, but his decisions in the final third have let him down. He opted to shoot despite Sebastian being available for a pass.
Sebastián Gutiérrez – 8/10
He picked up an early yellow tonight in the third minute after a tough challenge. But what a brilliant goal he scored in the 87th minute as the Colombian hit the last nail in the coffin for Mumbai City FC, giving Churchill Brothers a 2-0 lead in the dying minutes of the game.
Provat Lakra – 6/10
Lakra was subbed off in the 30th minute after a not so impressive performance from the left flank. There were a lot of entries from Mumbai City FC in the early minutes and Deny Singh was brought in to replace Lakra.
Alexandre Primael Yeoule – 6/10
A decent performance from Yeoule, who was replaced by Gaurav Bora, who went on to score the first goal for Churchill Brothers tonight.
Melroy – 7.5/10
Melroy has been a beast defensively. He has been cool, calm and composed and Assisi has left no stone unturned to close down any scoring chances from Wilmar and Brandon.
Vincy Barretto – 8.5/10
The Goan winger, with his lightning speed, was a live wire from the right flank.
He was brilliant with his overlapping and accelerating runs from the flanks. Not only did he help the team offensively, but was also a formidable presence in the defence sometimes.
Anil Rama Gaonkar – 7/10
A decent shift tonight from Anil, who was seen holding Mumbai defensively in the midfield and creating chances upfront for his teammates.
Substitutes
Gaurav Bora – 8/10
Gaurav Bora looked solid for Churchill Brothers and scored the first ever goal for them in ISL, getting his name on the history books.
Trijoy Dias – 5.5/10
M Deny Singh – 6/10
Stendly Fernandes – 6.5/10
Mumbai City FC Player Ratings (By Aaryan Sampat)
TP Rehnesh: 4/10
Photo: Lester.R / FS Media Pro / ISL
Rehnesh had a decent outing but could have done better with both goals conceded.
Mumbai’s failure to defend the corner eventually led to the opening goal, while his positioning at the near post could have been better for Churchill Brothers’ second. He will be disappointed with how the game unfolded.
Akash Mishra: 3/10
Photo: Lester.R / FS Media Pro / ISL
It was a very poor outing for Mumbai City FC’s new captain. Mishra struggled with his long ball distribution and often appeared to be on a different wavelength from Wilmar Jordán Gil and the other attackers.
He also failed to mark Gaurav Bora properly, allowing the Churchill Brothers player to score. It was far from the start Mishra would have wanted as captain.
Carlos Delgado: 5/10
Delgado looked composed at the back and tried to maintain his defensive shape despite Mumbai conceding twice.
While the result was disappointing, the experienced Spaniard showed glimpses of the stability he can bring to the defence. He should improve further as he gets more games under his belt and develops an understanding with his teammates.
Bijay Chhetri: 4/10
Chhetri had a relatively quiet outing but struggled to make a significant difference at the back. Although he showed some composure in the defensive line, he failed to track back in time for Churchill Brothers’ second goal.
It was a day with a few positives, but there is room for improvement as Mumbai look to build a more organized defence.
Valpuia: 5/10
Valpuia looked solid defensively but had little overall impact on the game. He did his defensive duties reasonably well, although he could have offered more going forward.
His crossing in particular will need to improve if he is to contribute more consistently to Mumbai’s attacking play.
Sergio Llamas: 6/10
Llamas looked sluggish at times, although the poor pitch conditions may have contributed to his struggles in moving the ball quickly through midfield.
Having been a set-piece specialist at Inter Kashi, it was surprising that he did not take any corners or free kicks. However, he showed composure from the penalty spot to score Mumbai’s first goal of the season and gave the Islanders a chance to get back into the contest.
Tluanga: 5/10
Tluanga had an average outing in midfield, with a few misplaced passes disrupting Mumbai’s rhythm.
He also tended to play the ball backwards rather than look for opportunities to progress it and move the team forward. While he contributed to the midfield structure, Mumbai needed more intent and purpose from him in possession.
Brandon Fernandes: 5/10
Brandon was wasteful with his set-piece deliveries and missed an excellent opportunity to score, sending an inch-perfect effort straight at the goalkeeper.
He did produce some good passes and showed glimpses of his creative ability, but his overall influence was limited. Mumbai needed more from their experienced playmaker in a game where attacking quality was lacking.
Leandro Otormin: 4/10
It was not the ideal start to life in Indian football for Otormin. Much like Llamas, he looked sluggish at times and struggled to make an impact in the attacking third.
He did not make enough runs or create meaningful opportunities, leaving Mumbai short of the creativity and attacking impetus they would have expected from their new signing.
Noufal: 4/10
Noufal showed some promise with his runs and willingness to attack spaces, but his final product let him down.
Poor first touches and misplaced passes prevented him from making the most of promising situations. He struggled to influence proceedings in the final third, and Mumbai needed greater quality from him in the attacking areas.
Wilmar Jordán Gil: 4/10
Jordan Gil looked sluggish and failed to make enough runs or take sufficient shots to trouble the Churchill Brothers defence.
He did produce one good pass to Brandon Fernandes that should have resulted in a goal, but that remained one of his few notable contributions. Overall, the striker did little to convince in his first outing, and Mumbai will need more movement and attacking threat from him in the games ahead.
Substitutes
Lazar Cirkovic: 5/10
Cirkovic put in a reasonably composed shift after coming on, helping Mumbai maintain their defensive structure.
He did not make any major errors during his time on the pitch, although he could not change the outcome of the game. It was a steady outing without much to separate him from the rest of the defensive unit.
Farukh Choudhary: 5/10
Farukh showed glimpses of his individual ability but did not have enough time on the pitch to make a significant impact.
While he looked capable of creating something through his own skills, his play lacked cohesion with the rest of the team. He will hope to build a better understanding with his teammates as the season progresses.
Puipuia: 5/10
Puipuia had limited time to influence the game but could have done better to track back for Churchill Brothers’ second goal.
He did manage to get a shot away, although his overall output was not enough to change the momentum in Mumbai’s favour. With more minutes and involvement, he will look to make a greater contribution in future fixtures.
Hridaya: 6/10
The youngster provided some encouraging moments after coming on, showing intent with a few good runs and delivering some neat crosses.
His contribution helped Mumbai create a late opportunity, as he won a penalty in the dying minutes that Llamas converted. Despite the defeat, it was a promising cameo from Hridaya, who showed that he could offer Mumbai an attacking option off the bench.
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