Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Ravshan Kulob Battle to Goalless Draw in AFC Champions League Opener

India’s Mohun Bagan Super Giant faced Ravshan Kulob from Tajikistan in their opening Group A match of the AFC Champions League, ending in a goalless draw. The match took place at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Wednesday, highlighting the challenges both teams faced in capitalizing on scoring opportunities.

The first half of the match was relatively uneventful. Both teams struggled to break through each other’s defenses in the initial 20 minutes. The first significant action came in the 26th minute, with Ravshan earning a free-kick. Kholmurod Nazarov’s attempt soared over the Mohun Bagan wall, hitting the side netting, but not converting into a goal.

A minute later, Mukhammadzhon Rakhimov brought excitement with a promising move inside the box. His attempt on target was initially mishandled by Mohun Bagan’s goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, though he quickly recovered to prevent the goal. Just before the half ended, Mohun Bagan’s offensive pressure intensified with a free-kick from Dimitri Petratos finding Subhasish Bose, but his header was easily caught by Ravshan’s keeper Yevgen Grytsenko.

Mohun Bagan’s head coach, José Francisco Molina, made strategic substitutions in the second half, bringing on Liston Colaco and Lalengmawia Ralte to enhance the team’s attack. The Kolkata giants began pressing harder from the 75th minute. Jason Cummings almost put them ahead when he received a precise through ball, but his shot went straight to the goalkeeper.

Colaco had another near-miss opportunity in the 87th minute, receiving a through ball from Greg Stewart. Despite his swift run past Ravshan’s defense, his shot missed the goal. In the next minute, a thrilling moment for Mohun Bagan arrived when Dimitri Petratos scored past the keeper, assisted by Stewart. However, excitement quickly turned to frustration as the linesman’s flag confirmed an offside decision, nullifying the goal.

With three minutes of additional time added, neither team found success in altering the score, concluding the match in a stalemate. Looking forward, Mohun Bagan will prepare for their next fixture against Tractor FC of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the Yadegar Imam Stadium in Tabriz on October 2.