Durand Cup 2024: Bengaluru FC moves into the quarterfinals with an all-win record

Bengaluru FC, fielding a full-strength team, took control of the proceedings against a young Mohammedan Sporting side that came with an all-Indian lineup.

Vinith Venkatesh scores the third goal for Bengaluru FC against Mohemmadan SC at the Durand Cup. | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri/ The Hindu

Former champion Bengaluru FC beat a 10-man Mohammedan Sporting SC 3-2 at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday, to complete its Group B league assignment with an all-win record and progressed to the quarterfinals of the 133rd Durand Cup.

Bengaluru FC, fielding a full-strength team, took control of the proceedings against a young Mohammedan Sporting side that came with an all-Indian lineup.

Bengaluru FC found the opening goal from a corner early in the seventh minute which was nodded home by its tall Australian defender Aleksandar Jovanovic. Bengaluru FC doubled the lead in the 22nd minute when Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s sharp attempt was deflected home by the Mohammedan Sporting defender Dipu Halder.

Vinith Venkatesh made it 3-0 by the hour mark to virtually seal the match for Bengaluru FC.

Mohammedan Sporting livened up its attacks in the final quarter of the action and pulled one back in the 77th minute through substitute Israfil Dewan, who scored with a spectacular header.

The home side was reduced to 10 men in the 81st minute when its goalkeeper Subhajit Bhattacharjee sent off with a straight red as he tried to stop a goal-bound Diaz outside the box.

Despite getting reduced in number, Sporting continued its offensive and saw another substitute Mahitosh Roy making it 3-2 with a fine long-ranger in the injury time.

Mohammedan Sporting with one point from two matches has a slim chance of moving to the knock-out stage as it has to win its final league match by a huge margin and look at other results to figure among the top two runners-up in the final league standings.

Local side Bodoland FC picked up the first win of the tournament with a 2-0 win over a youthful Odisha FC side, in a Group E match at the SAI Stadium in Kokrajhar (Assam).

The result kept the competition in the group wide open with NorthEast United FC, Bodoland FC and Odisha FC forming a three-way tie with three points each.

The result:

Group B (Kolkata): Mohammedan Sporting 2 (Israfil Dewan 77, Mahitosh Roy 90+3) lost to Bengaluru FC 3 (Aleksandar Jovanovic 7, Dipu Halder 22-og, Vinith Venkatesh 60).

Group E (Kokrajhar): Bodoland FC 2 (Dilliram Sanyasi 42, Arjun Mardi 88) bt Odisha FC 0.