Mumbai City FC are set to play their first game of the 2022/23 ISL campaign against reigning champions Hyderabad FC at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports complex in Pune
Bengaluru FC lifted their first-ever Durand Cup title as they beat fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side Mumbai City FC 2-1 in the final at the Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
BFC were the ISL 2018-19 champions, but also have six other top domestic titles to their name and will be vying for their seventh. They have presented the most successful striking force of the tournament with talisman Sunil Chhetri, Roy Krishna and Siva Sakthi, all being in goal-scoring form
The 34-day tournament played across three states for the first time will culminate with the 47th and final match between two top teams and former champions of the Indian Super League (ISL), India's topmost football division. While BFC would be fighting for its seventh domestic title, MCFC
A last gasp winner by Bipin Singh (90+1') proved to be fatal for Andrey Cherynshov's men who bravely fought until the very end as their Durand Cup campaign came to an end while the Islanders became the first finalists of the Durand Cup 2022.
While Scottish player Greg Stewart (40', 100' 118') got a hat-trick, former Chennaiyin player Lallianzuala Chhangte (78', 94') scored a brace for Mumbai City.
Both sides shared a similar fate in the group stage as the Islanders collected seven points from four games and topped their group while the Marina Machans picked up as many points and finished second in their group.
Chennaiyin FC beat I-League sides TRAU FC and NEROCA FC 4-1 and 2-0 respectively to finish second in Group C after a poor start and qualify for quarter-finals
Midfielder Anirudh Thapa (15') and Vafa Hakhamaneshi scored in each half to take Chennaiyin FC past the hosts and into the knockout stage of the competition.
The Islanders started getting on the front foot from the get-go with their high-intensity pressing and found their first big chance in the first five minutes of the game
The Navy side took the lead through a fantastic Adersh Mattummal pile-driver in the 42nd minute, but the Islanders equalized just before the first-half whistle through Vikram Pratap Singh. Scotsman Greg Stewart put the Islanders ahead through a penalty in the 65th minute before Chhangte's br