ISL 2016: Fantastic Forlan nets hat-trick against Kerala, steers Mumbai City to top spot

Diego Forlan's superb hattrick cast a magic spell at the Mumbai Football arena as Mumbai City FC thumped the visiting Kerala Blasters 5-0 on Saturday to take the home team to the top of the table.

Mumbai’s deadly forward line came into life in the fifth minute when a three-pass move caught the Kerala defence unawares. Sunil Chhetri passed to Matias Defederico who lobbed the ball on to Forlan’s path who managed to sneak in behind the defenders and slotted it home from a tight angle past goal keeper Graham Stack.

The Uruguayan kept the yellow brigade on their toes for the rest of the half. First his long ranger had to be palmed away by Stack and then he found Chhetri in front of goal from a corner but the Indian captain’s cheeky back heel was cleared by the Kerala defence from goal line.

However, just on the 14-minute-mark, Forlan showed his real class by curling in a vicious free kick over the Kerala wall and beat Stack at the first post to send the home crowd into raptures.  A part of the stadium was turned into yellow by the visiting supporters but they fell silent as the Golden Ball winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup tested Stack with another pile driver from 15 yards out. Thankfully this time the shot crashed into the arms of the custodian.

The second half spelt destruction for Kerala as Forlan, Cafu and Lucian Goain added three more goals to take Mumbai's goal difference to plus six. First Forlan scored the maiden hattrick of ISL 3 by slotting the ball in between Stack's legs in the 63rd minute and then Cafu slammed the ball in the top right corner from outside the box in the 69th minute. Defender Goain made it 5-0 in the 73rd minute by heading in a corner to complete the humiliation.

This win takes Mumbai to 19 points and they are all but sure of making the playoffs this year.