Durand Cup 2024: Bengaluru FC overcame ten-man Mohammedan SC

Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC overcame ten-man Mohammedan SC in a five-goal thriller in a Group B encounter at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata to become the first team to qualify for the knockouts of the 133rd Indian Oil Durand Cup.

Bengaluru FC finished their group stage engagement with three wins out of three matches to top the group. Aleksandar Jovanovic and Vinith Venkatesh scored for the Blues, while the third goal was the virtue of an own goal by Dipu Halder. Israfil Dewan and Mahitosh Roy scored the goals for Mohammedan SC.

Bengaluru FC made five changes to the starting eleven, with Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Mohammed Salah, Vinith Venkatesh, Suresh Singh, and F. Lalremtluanga being brought on by head coach Gerard Zaragoza, while Mohammedan SC head coach Hakim Ssengendo named a young starting eleven with Ashley Koli and Robinson Singh heading the attack.

Bengaluru took an early lead in the 7th minute from a well-worked corner. Mohammed Salah’s corner kick was deflected into the dangerous area by Chinglensana Singh, and an unmarked Aleksandar Jovanovic headed in to give his side the lead. Bengaluru were looking dangerous going forward, with Ryan Williams and Jorge Pereyra Diaz troubling the young Mohammedan defense. Jovanovic and Pereyra Diaz tested Mohammedan goalkeeper Shubajit Bhattacharjee, but he kept the efforts away.

The continuous pressure led to the second goal for the Blues. They caught Mohammedan SC off guard on a counterattack as Pereyra Diaz beat the last man and went around the keeper to see his attempt deflected in by Mohammedan defender Dipu Halder.

The Blues continued to launch attacks into the Mohammedan box, but the Kolkata side defended better and, on the other hand, made some good ones of their own, but the Bengaluru backline stood strong to fend them off and keep their two-goal advantage.

Bengaluru continued where they had left off in the first half. Talisman Sunil Chhetri, along with Alberto Noguera, were brought in by Bengaluru as they continued to make life difficult for the Mohammedan defense. Bengaluru soon scored the third goal as Vinith Venkatesh found the top corner with a wonderful left-footed curler after Noguera won the ball high up on the pitch.

Sunil Chhetri looked lively after coming on to the pitch and setting up Shreyas Ketkar and Vinith, but the youngsters missed their chances to increase Bengaluru FC’s lead.

Mohammedan SC stunned Bengaluru FC by scoring one back against the run of play. Ashley Koli’s cross from the left wing was met brilliantly by Israfil Dewan, whose glancing header beat substitute goalkeeper Lalthuammawia Ralte.

Mohammedan SC were reduced to 10 men for the last 10 minutes of the game as a rash tackle by goalkeeper Subhajit Bhattacharjee on Pereyra Diaz saw him receive a straight red card. Mohammedan SC had already made their permissible substitutions, which led to defender Dipu Halder taking the goalkeeping gloves for the rest of the match, and his contribution was to make a diving save from a free kick by Sunil Chhetri. 

Mohammedan SC dominated possession in the last minutes of play despite being a man down, and they were threatening going forward. Mahitosh Roy scored an absolute stunner from 40 yards out of goal, but it was not enough as Bengaluru FC walked away with all three points and a place in the knockouts.