Sporting Club Delhi produced a spirited second-half comeback to secure a 2–2 draw against Mumbai City FC in an entertaining Indian Super League encounter at the Mumbai Football Arena on Sunday.
The Islanders appeared to be cruising early in the match after establishing a two-goal lead, but Delhi fought back strongly after the break to claim its first point of the campaign. Mumbai City FC now sits provisionally fourth in the standings with eight points, while SC Delhi finally opened its account after four matches. Midfielder Matija Babović was named the Player of the Match for his influential performance.
Mumbai made a dream start, breaking the deadlock just three minutes into the match. A long throw from Akash Mishra on the left caused confusion in the Delhi defence. The ball fell kindly for Jorge Pereyra Díaz, who reacted quickly and headed it into the bottom-right corner from close range to give the home side an early 1–0 advantage.
Delhi attempted to respond immediately. Mohammed Amin tried his luck from distance in the fifth minute, but his effort was blocked. The midfielder had another attempt ten minutes later, though his shot drifted narrowly wide of the goal.
The home side extended its lead in the 17th minute with a well-executed attacking move. Brandon Fernandes delivered a precise pass into space on the left for Noufal, who finished brilliantly with a right-footed strike into the top corner to make it 2–0.
Both teams continued to push forward, but clear chances remained limited as the first half progressed. Babović came close in the 34th minute when he attempted a shot from inside the box, only to send the ball over the crossbar.
Delhi finally found a breakthrough deep into stoppage time before halftime. Mumbai goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa failed to deal with a free-kick, allowing Rafael Ribeiro to lay the ball off to Manoj Mohammad at the edge of the box. The left-back struck a powerful shot into the bottom-left corner, cutting the deficit to 2–1 just before the break.
The visitors returned with renewed energy in the second half, dominating possession and creating several opportunities. Alex Saji headed wide from a cross in the 66th minute, while substitute Devendra Murgaokar also missed the target with a header shortly after.
Mumbai nearly restored its two-goal cushion in the 73rd minute when Mishra met a Fernandes cross with a header, but Delhi goalkeeper Nora Fernandes made a comfortable save.
Moments later, Delhi completed the comeback. Babović weaved through the Mumbai defence with an impressive run before calmly finishing from close range to level the score at 2–2.
Both teams pushed for a late winner in the closing stages, but neither could find the decisive goal. Delhi came closest in stoppage time when Murgaokar connected with a cross from Ramhlunchhunga, though his header drifted just wide, ensuring the points were shared.
