Sporting Club Delhi scored three times in the closing 21 minutes, through Carlos Fortes, Akshat Mehra and Juan Pena, to beat Mumbai City FC 3-2 at the Mumbai Football Arena after trailing 2-0 at half-time, ruining the Islanders’ first home match of the ISL 2026-27 season.
Mumbai, India: Mumbai City led by two goals at half-time and still lost. Sporting Club Delhi, 2-0 down with fewer than 20 minutes left, found three goals in the last 21 and left the Mumbai Football Arena with a 3-2 win that will sting the home side for a long time.
Mumbai City race away
The Islanders began their first home match of the season with purpose. In the sixth minute Muhammed Ajsal played a one-two with PN Noufal after a defensive error by Delhi’s Lamgoulen Hangshing and finished the move, scoring Mumbai City’s first open-play goal of the campaign.
The second arrived in the 27th minute. Noufal ran down the left and crossed, and Zothanpuia met it with his right foot to make it 2-0.
Fortes pulls one back
Delhi needed a spark and found it from the bench. Carlos Fortes came on in the 71st minute and, two minutes later, had a goal. A corner was not dealt with, goalkeeper TP Rehenesh could not hold on to it, and Fortes tapped in from close range after Ashutosh Mehta set him up. It was 2-1, and the game changed shape.
Mehra and Pena complete the turnaround
The equaliser came in the second minute of stoppage time. Akshat Mehra, another substitute, took a pass from Richard Ndayishimaye and shot from distance across Rehenesh to make it 2-2.
Two minutes later Delhi had the winner. Pena collected the ball, ran across the pitch past two defenders and scored a solo goal in the fourth minute of added time. Mumbai City, who led by two goals, were left with nothing.
Delhi had drawn 1-1 at FC Goa days earlier. For Mumbai City, who had drawn 1-1 with Punjab FC on October 20, the next task is a trip to Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday, 20 November.
Result: Mumbai City FC 2-3 Sporting Club Delhi (ISL 2026-27, Mumbai Football Arena)
Scorers: Ajsal 6’, Zothanpuia 27’ (MCFC); Fortes 73’, Mehra 90+2’, Pena 90+4’ (SCD)
Half-time: Mumbai City 2-0
