AFC Champions League Two 2024-25: Mohun Bagan held to goalless draw by Ravshan in campaign opener
An offside call denied Dimitri Petratos' late winner at the Salt Lake Stadium. Mohun Bagan will play Tractor SC next on October 2.
Football
India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant played out a goalless draw against Ravshan Kulob of Tajikistan in their opening Group A match of the AFC Champions League Two 2024-25 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Though the first 45 minutes were lacklustre, the Kolkata giants picked pace in the second half but failed to convert easy chances. Star striker Dimitri Petratos did find the back of the net in the 88th minute but the goal was ruled offside.
The opening 20 minutes of the first half were relatively uneventful, with both teams making attempts to penetrate each other’s defences, but neither side managed to make any inroads.
The first major action of the match came in the 26th minute when Ravshan were awarded a free-kick. Kholmurod Nazarov cleared the Mohun Bagan wall but only managed to rattle the side netting.
The very next minute, Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov made a move in the box and took a shot on target. Mohun Bagan shot-stopper Vishal Kaith fumbled with his save but managed to stop the ball from rolling over the goal line.
Just before the half-time whistle, Mohun Bagan had their best chance from a Petratos free-kick. His kick found Subhasish Bose, whose header was easily collected by Ravshan's custodian Yevgen Grytsenko.
To aid the attack in the second half, Mohun Bagan head coach José Francisco Molina introduced Liston Colaco and Lalengmawia Ralte to the field.
From the 75th minute onwards, the home team started to up the ante. Jason Cummings received a solid through ball and tried to flick it in but his shot landed directly in the hands of the keeper.
In the 87th minute, Colaco was presented with a good opportunity when Greg Stewart's through ball found him on the left. He ran past the Ravshan defence, but his right-footed curler missed the target by inches.
The very next minute, Mohun Bagan thought they had got the breakthrough when Petratos found the back of the net through Stewart's assist. However, the linesman raised his flag for an offside and ruled the goal out.
Though three minutes were added to the clock after regulation time, none of the teams managed to create any more opportunities with the match ending in a draw.
Mohun Bagan will travel to take on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Tractor FC next on October 2 at the Yadegar Imam Stadium in Tabriz.