Mohun Bagan vs FC Goa: Brilliant Borja, Dheeraj disappoints and other talking points

The Mariners bowed out against the Gaurs after losing 1-3 in the semifinals.

FC Goa stormed into the final of the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup with a decisive 1-3 win over Mohun Bagan at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The Gaurs rode on goals from Brison Fernandes, Iker Guarrotxena and Borja Herrera, with Suhail Bhat’s goal only proving to be a consolation for the Mariners.

It was a pretty entertaining bout where the relatively weakened Mohun Bagan side proved their quality against one of the best sides in Indian football. There were quite a few positives and negatives from the game, and some interesting factors that ultimately decided the clash.

Here we look at the talking points from the Kalinga Super Cup semi-final:

Dheeraj Singh loses ground in Mohun Bagan goalkeeper race

Dheeraj Singh came into the semi-final at the back of a solid performance in the quarterfinal against Kerala Blasters FC. That was only his second outing of the 2024/25 season, with the goalkeeper hoping to use the Kalinga Super Cup as a platform to convince Jose Molina to give him more playing time next season.

Well, that was all crushed with the loss to FC Goa. Dheeraj had a pretty poor outing in the semi-finals and made some really clumsy errors. He couldn’t track the flight of the ball for the opening goal, before sloppily coming out of his goal line to make a silly foul giving FC Goa the penalty for the second goal.

However, his most embarrassing moment came with the third goal as Herrera’s direct corner flew over him into the back of the net. These errors will impact his position in the squad, as it’s proof that he isn’t near the level of someone like Vishal Kaith right now.

Patience pays off for clinical FC Goa

FC Goa knew that they had to be careful in not underestimating this relatively weakened Mohun Bagan side despite the Mariners not having a chunk of their ISL squad players. They were pretty respectful for the Kolkata side and did not rush their way into trying to get a big lead or score a plethora of goals from the get-go.

Manolo Marquez had his side control the possession properly and be steady with their link-up play in trying to get the better of the young Mohun Bagan players. They were calculative with their attacking moves, taking their time in moving the ball forward and waiting for the perfect final passes to trouble the Mariners.

The composed and patient approach worked out for FC Goa as they were able to surprise the Mohun Bagan players with the quality and suddenness of their goals and seal a big win.

ALSO READ: Mohun Bagan vs FC Goa Player Ratings: Brison and Borja shine while Dheeraj and Sahal disappoint

Multiple Mohun Bagan players make case for serious first-team involvement

Even though Mohun Bagan were eliminated from the Kalinga Super Cup in the semifinals and their domestic treble dreams were ended, there were quite a few positives from the tournament. The biggest positive is that the Super Cup performances proved that a few young players or underused talents are more than ready to get seriously involved into Jose Molina’s first-team set-up in the 2025/26 season.

Ashique Kuruniyan proved his quality in the left-wing role with a few blistering performances. He delivered two assists in the two games and ran riot on the left flank, proving he deserves more playing time in that role in the ISL this season.

The Super Cup was also the breakout campaign for Salahudheen Adnan, who was a menacing factor on the right flank. The 23-year-old winger was a nightmare with his dribbles and incisiveness on the right, getting one assist against Kerala Blasters and even harassing the Goa defenders in the semifinal. He deserves more playing time on the right wing because of his ability to cut into central areas to cause chaos.

Suhail Bhat also had a prolific outing in the Super Cup, scoring two goals and showcasing his striker’s instincts with excellent movement and finishing in the box. The young forward is another one who has made a case to be an important player for the first-team squad next season and he can even challenge Jamie Maclaren for that role.

Experience factor guides FC Goa to first-ever Super Cup finale

FC Goa’s relatively comfortable win over Mohun Bagan in the semifinal proved that experience does, ultimately, matter in matches like these. The Gaurs had players who knew what it takes to compellingly win a cup semifinal and control the game perfectly to neutralize the major threats of this young Mariners’ side.

Their foreign players all did their job pretty perfectly, with Guarrotxena and Herrera being especially prolific in moving the ball forward and causing trouble with their final delivery.

Carl McHugh was able to add more steel to the midfield to neutralize Sahal Abdul Samad’s threat and trifle the Kolkata side’s movement through central areas. Manolo Marquez’s game management was also pretty admirable, as he timed his substitutions to perfect to keep his energized and ensure they always maintained a calmness around their game.

The Gaurs now need to win another game to secure AFC competition qualification for next season and it’s their experience factor that might help them give Marquez the best possible parting gift.

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