SC Delhi had led in every game and won none, then came from 2-0 down to beat Mumbai City
Juan Pena’s 94th-minute solo goal finished off a three-goal comeback at the Mumbai Football Arena, and Mumbai City are still waiting for a win under Manolo Márquez.
Nov 1, 2026
Sporting Club Delhi had a reputation by the end of October, and it was not a good one. They had led in all three of their ISL games and won none of them. On Sunday at the Mumbai Football Arena they did it the other way round: they were 2-0 down at half-time against Mumbai City FC and won 3-2, with two goals in stoppage time.
Mumbai City are still without a win. They have two points from four games, and Manolo Márquez’s first ISL season in charge has yet to produce a victory.
Mumbai’s first open-play goal
The home side needed six minutes to do something they had not managed all season. Muhammad Ajsal played a one-two with Noufal after a mistake by Lamgoulen Hangshing and finished, and it was Mumbai City’s first goal from open play in the 2026-27 ISL. Their two previous goals had both been penalties: Sergio Llamas’s late consolation in the 2-1 defeat to Churchill Brothers on 11 October, and Leandro Otormín’s spot kick in the 1-1 draw with Punjab FC on 19 October. The 0-0 in Kochi against Kerala Blasters on 25 October added nothing.
Noufal set up the second as well. He ran down the left and crossed, and Zothanpuia finished with his right foot in the 27th minute. Delhi’s best reply before the break was Mohammad Azhar’s curling shot, which hit the crossbar eight minutes later.
Tchórz’s changes
Tomasz Tchórz made two changes at half-time. Richard Ndayishimaye replaced Azhar and Ashutosh Mehta came on for Hangshing, whose mistake had led to the first goal. He went for more in the 71st minute, sending on Carlos Fortes for Rodriguinho and Augustine Lalrochana for Sourav.
Fortes needed two minutes. TP Rehenesh spilled a corner, Mehta got the ball to him, and he tapped in from close range. With two minutes of normal time left, Tchórz sent on Akshat Mehra for Mohammed Aimen.
Mehra equalised in the 92nd minute. Ndayishimaye found him, he curled a shot towards goal, and Rehenesh got a hand to it without keeping it out. Two minutes later Juan Pena picked up the ball, went past two defenders on his own and scored the winner. It had become a scrappy, physical game by then, with skirmishes along the way.
A side that kept losing leads
The win means more to Delhi because of how their season had gone. On the opening night in Bengaluru, 10 October, they were 2-1 up at half-time and lost 3-2 to Menno Koch’s 89th-minute header. Six days later, in front of 14,971 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, Lalrinliana Hnamte put them ahead against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, and Lee Erwin and Miguel Figueira scored four minutes apart in the second half to win it for the visitors.
Then came Fatorda on 28 October. Pena gave Delhi the lead early in the second half and they held it until Álex Vallejo equalised for FC Goa five minutes into stoppage time. One point from three games, all of them led at some stage.
This time the late goals went Delhi’s way. Pena has now scored in back-to-back games, and the side that could not hold a lead has four points from four matches.
For Mumbai City the problem has shifted rather than gone away. They finally scored from open play, twice, and still lost. Márquez’s side have led in two of their four games and have nothing to show for either.
Losing a two-goal lead at home to a side that had not won all season is a harder thing to explain than a penalty-only attack, and I suspect Márquez knows it.