Bengaluru play 1-1 draw with Mohun Bagan, make Hero Federation Cup semis

AIFF Media 
Bengaluru FC Media

Defending Hero Federation Cup Champions Mohun Bagan finished table toppers of Group B with seven points out of three matches, after playing out a 1-1 draw against Bengaluru FC in the ongoing 38th edition of the Hero Federation Cup in Cuttack, Odhisa today.

Both Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC qualified for the semi-final stage of the Tournament with the Blues finishing runners-up with four points out of three matches.

Alwyn George’s 12th-minute strike was cancelled by a 50th minute Sony Norde goal for Mohun Bagan as both Teams shared the points at the end of the match.

Bengaluru FC had to conjure a draw to progress to the semi-finals of the Hero Federation Cup and Alberto Roca’s team showed signs of taking the match by the scruff of the neck in the opening minutes itself. When the Blues took the lead in the 12th minute after Alwyn George cut in from the right flank and released a shot which beat Debjit Majumder on the near post and handed Bengaluru FC a solitary goal lead.

In the 30th minute, Katsumi Yusa’s header earned a reflex save from Amrinder Singh after the Japanese was found in the box by Jeje’s header, as Mohun Bagan pressed for the equaliser.

Despite Bagan dominating possession in the final third for the latter half of the first half, the Bengaluru FC defence kept out the trio of Jeje, Katsumi Yusa and Sony Norde, giving them no time at all to shoot. While Norde who usually dropped deep to collect the ball was out-muscled off possession by Bengaluru bodies in defence. The half-time scoreline read 1-0 in BFC’s favour.

In the 50th minute, Sony Norde found the back of the net after his shot from distance curled into Amrinder’s goal to level proceedings as Bagan kick-started the second half.

Bengaluru FC pressed to score again and Doungel’s shot in the 59th minute went inches over the bar minutes before Bengaluru FC were awarded a corner kick.

Playing cautiously after scoring, Mohun Bagan beefed up bodies in the midfield to counter the free-flowing attacks of Bengaluru FC. With a draw enough to get both Teams into the knock-out stage, both teams played the match cautiously, not over committing to attacks was a common sight. The full-time scoreline read 1-1 as both Teams progressed to the semi-final stage. 

Luck evades Bengaluru again as Chennai deny them the elusive away win

Bengaluru FC Media

Bengaluru FC endured another frustrating night, this time at the Nehru Stadium, in Chennai, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chennai City FC on Wednesday. A second-half own-goal from John Johnson had given Chennai the lead only for Daniel Lalhlimpuia to equalize on a night when the Blues rued missed chances.

Albert Roca made changes to the side that beat Minerva Punjab FC 1-0 in Ludhiana over the weekend, choosing to start with Daniel, Mandar ahead of CK Vineeth and Jugovic.

Bengaluru had Chennai on the ropes from the get-go when Mandar saw his header from a cross, kept out by Karanjit Singh in the 4th minute. Daniel then had a shot on target kept out by Celesitine Echezona as the Blues attacked from all over the pitch. Sunil Chhetri too saw an attempt on goal from an Udanta cutback, saved.  

But for all of Bengaluru’s authority on the game, it was Chennai who found themselves with the lead in the 53rd minute when John Johnson headed a seemingly harmless cross from Nandhakumar on the right and watched in horror as it flew past Arindam Bhattacharya and into the Blues’ net.

A quick response was what Bengaluru needed and they found one within five minutes of conceding. Sent on a chase he won down the right, Udanta’s cross was pushed away by Karanjit Singh only to fall at Daniel’s feet and the striker calmly shot home the equaliser.

Sensing the need to build on the momentum, Roca brought on striker Marjan Jugovic for Mandar Rao Dessai as the Blues relentlessly pressed for a second. They came agonizingly close in the 63rd minute when Juanan saw a header from a corner saved off the line by Debabrata Roy.

Nishu Kumar then saw two delightful low crosses roll across the face of the goal with no Bengaluru body close enough to get a foot on them. Looking to shake things up a little, Roca made his final two changes in quick succession, replacing Cameron Watson and Daniel with Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Vineeth.

Bengaluru then had a shout for handball turned down deep into injury time but the Blues’ best chance of the half came when Lyngdoh’s looped free-kick into the area was nodded into a dangerous area for Dharmaraj Ravanan to clear off the line in what was to be the last action of the night.

The Blues next face Mohun Bagan at the Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday.