Mohun Bagan Super Giant will play in their third straight Indian Super League (ISL) Cup final after they saw off Jamshedpur FC 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final.

The victory was achieved in trademark Mariners style as the home side in second leg launched waves of attacks to finally break their opponents down.

Apuia produced a moment of brilliance as his wonderstrike late in the game settled the tie in the Kolkata Giants’ favour.

This has been a familiar script where the opponents who have thought they have found a way to deny Mohun Bagan Super Giant, have been undone in the final stages of the match.

Last year’s semi-final saw the same script played out as Mohun Bagan Super Giant wiped out a 2-1 deficit against Odisha FC with a 2-0 win at home in the second leg thanks to a goal in the dying minutes from Sahal Abdul Samad. This time it was Apuia with the late decisive goal and Jamshedpur FC at the receiving end. On both occasions, the Mariners rejoiced.

The Kolkata Giants have this knack of striking when it matters most and have made a habit of winning tight matches at the death with time running out. Mohun Bagan Super Giant have more often than not emerged victorious in this battle of nerves, making them even harder to contain or defeat.

In ISL, Mohun Bagan Super Giant have scored 11 late winners, excluding the two netted to win the semi-final tie. Those two goals weren’t winners on the night but proved to be clinchers with respect to the tie. Taking that into account, the Mariners have scored 13 late winners since joining the ISL in 2020-21, more than any other team in the league.

Jamshedpur FC are second with nine late winners in the same period, while Bengaluru FC are third with seven.

This ability to score decisive late goals is a huge asset for Jose Mo0lina’s team who concede very few goals. The Mariners are almost always in the contest and this ability to find the back of the net in the dying minutes not just gives them the belief of turning things around in a game, but also keeps the opponents on toes, adding to the anxiety of the final few moments.

When Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Bengaluru FC last faced off in the final, Dimitri Petratos scored an 85th-minute equaliser for the Kolkata side to send the final into extra-time which the Mariners went onto win on penalties.

In big games, the Kolkata Giants have proved time and again that it’s not over till the final whistle and this record will give them great confidence going into the final against the Blues on Saturday.

This ability has been on show more often this season with Molina’s team collecting as many as eight points thanks to the goals in the dying moments. The loss of these eight points would have still seen Mohun Bagan Super Giant win the League Shield but that would have been based on a superior head-to-head record against FC Goa as the eight-point difference would have vanished without these goals.

Even last season, Mohun Bagan Super Giant scored two late winners in the league stage, goals which ultimately helped them win the League Shield.

The Salt Lake stadium stage is set to host another big-ticket clash in the ISL and with Mariners enjoying home advantage against a stubborn Blues side, expect things to be in the balance as the full-time whistle nears. And that’s when we expect fireworks. History, both recent and relatively older shows that it’s the Mariners who make it count in such situations.

Watch out for green and maroon time!

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Mohun Bagan Super Giant2024-2025 LalengmawiaJason Steven CummingsDimitrios Petratos