Indian Super League Shield and Cup winners Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG) beat Kerala Blasters 2-1 to enter the Super Cup semifinals in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
MBSG, fielding an all-Indian squad, except for Portuguese defender Nuno Reis, scored once in each half through Sahal Abdul Samad (22nd minute) and Suhail Ahmad Bhat (51st).
Sreekuttan MS (90+4) pulled one back for the Blasters, but it was too little, too late for the Kerala side.
Later in the day, FC Goa produced a sensational late comeback to defeat Punjab FC 2-1 and book a semifinal date with MBSG on Wednesday.
Punjab FC, who had taken the lead early in the second half through Ezequiel Vidal (57th), looked set for a famous win. However, two quick goals in the space of three minutes from Borja Herrera and Mohammed Yasir in the dying minutes turned the game on its head, leaving Punjab heartbroken.
Earlier, the match between Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters began at a leisurely pace, with both teams not committing many bodies in the opposition half. After 20 minutes of no goal-mouth action, Mohun Bagan SG churned out the opener with their first meaningful attack.
With lightning footwork, Salahudheen Adnan twisted and turned past left-back Naocha Singh and slipped a cross into the six-yard box. Getting on the end of it was Samad, who swiftly evaded Ruivah Hormipam's challenge and dinked the ball over goalkeeper Sachin Suresh to make it 1-0 in the 22nd minute.
From then on Kerala Blasters grew desperate for the equaliser. Noah Sadaoui cut in from the right and took a shot from distance, but he didn't get enough elevation, and the ball landed straight into the gloves of MBSG goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh.
The Blasters became increasingly dangerous from corners. In the 30th minute, after playing a one-two with Vibin Mohanan, Sadaoui drilled a low cross that was cleared by Dippendu Biswas.
Later, from another corner, Hormipam's cross-turned-shot almost landed into the top corner, but Dheeraj did well to tip it over.
In the added time of first half, Mohammed Aimen was fed on the left wing by Vibin. The midfielder cut in from the left before seeing his right-footer swerve over the bar.
Before Kerala Blasters could even get into gear for the second half, Mohun Bagan SG struck another goal.
Ashique Kuruniyan created the second goal from the left flank. The India international skipped past Hormipam and squared an inch-perfect ball into the six-yard box for Bhat to guide it into the net with ease.
The rest of the second half was all about Dheeraj Singh keeping the Kerala Blasters forwards at bay, but it wasn't until after Jesus Jimenez missed a couple of gilt-edged chances -- half-volleying over the bar in the 65th minute and then curling it wide of the far post after going clean through on goal in the 67th.
Three minutes later, Dheeraj palmed over substitute Kwame Peprah's right-footed shot from a narrow angle.
With just five minutes to go, Peprah tried to set up Jimenez with a low cross into the six-yard box, but the Spaniard couldn't sort his feet out quickly enough and missed it completely.
Dheeraj again made himself big to deny Peprah from six yards before Ebindas's attempt on the rebound was cleared off the line by Amandeep.
The Mohun Bagan custodian was finally beaten in the 94th minute when Jimenez slipped a neat ball for Sreekuttan on the right. The substitute thrashed it over Dheeraj and into the back of the net, but it only turned out to be a consolation strike.
FC Goa strike late to pip Punjab to Kalinga Super Cup semis
FC Goa produced a sensational late comeback to defeat Punjab FC 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Kalinga Super Cup at the Kalinga Stadium.
The win helped the Gaurs book a semi-final date with Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which will be played on Wednesday, April 30.
Punjab FC, who had taken the lead early in the second half through Ezequiel Vidal (57'), looked set for a famous win. However, two quickfire goals in the space of three minutes from Borja Herrera and Mohammed Yasir in the dying minutes turned the game on its head, leaving Punjab heartbroken, a release said.
The match kicked off with Punjab FC showing greater urgency and attacking intent. Their forwards pressed high and tested the FC Goa defence, creating the first real chance of the game in the ninth minute. Vidal's corner found Nikhil Prabhu, whose header forced a sharp save from Goa's goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari.
Punjab remained compact defensively as well, successfully keeping FC Goa's talisman Iker Guarrotxena quiet throughout the first half. The Spaniard, who had been a key figure for the Gaurs all season, found little room to operate against a disciplined Punjab backline.
FC Goa, on the other hand, took time to settle down, and their first significant opportunity came in the 18th minute following a delightful team move. Udanta Singh found himself on the end of the final pass but failed to hit the target. Minutes later, Borja saw his shot saved by Muheet Shabir. Although Guarrotxena latched onto the rebound, his effort was blocked amidst appeals for a handball, which the referee waved away.
With the first half ending goalless, both sides regrouped, but it was Punjab FC who struck first. In the 57th minute, Muhammad Suhail unleashed a left-footed effort from distance that rattled the post. Vidal reacted quickest to the rebound, slotting home to give Punjab a deserved lead.
FC Goa, now chasing the game, struggled to break down Punjab's defence, which remained resolute as the clock ticked towards full-time. Despite Goa's growing possession, Punjab appeared to have done enough to see the match out.
But football can be cruel, and in the 89th minute, Punjab's resistance was finally broken. Substitute Brison Fernandes swung in a cross from the right that Ashish Pradhan failed to clear properly. The loose ball fell to Borja, who finished clinically into the bottom right corner to level the score.
Barely three minutes later, disaster struck for Punjab again. Dejan Drazic's floated cross from the left found Punjab defender Pramveer in position to clear, but his weak header dropped invitingly to Yasir. The FC Goa midfielder rifled a venomous shot into the net to complete a stunning turnaround.
To compound Punjab's misery, Pramveer received his second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off, ending a night to forget for the defender.
Borja Herrera was handed the Kalinga Player of the Match award by Shri Amit Kumar Nayak, OAS, Deputy Secretary to Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha.
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