Mohun Bagan Super Giant made a spectacular comeback as it first recovered a two-goal deficit to hold Bengaluru FC 2-2 in regulation time and then clinched its passage to the final with a 4-3 win in penalties at the Durand Cup 2024.
The semifinal at the Salt Lake Stadium saw an absorbing battle as both the opponents displayed remarkable attacking styles but Mohun Bagan showed greater resilience and application.
As it happened: Mohun Bagan Super Giant v Bengaluru FC Highlights
Goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, who had salvaged Mohun Bagan’s fortune in the quarterfinal, saving two shots in the shootouts against Punjab FC, did his job once again.
He blocked the last two attempts of Bengaluru FC – Halicharan Narzary and Aleksandar Jovanovic – to help the Mariners secure its 30th appearance in the final of Asia’s oldest tournament.
Mohun Bagan will take on NorthEast United FC in the final scheduled here on Saturday.
Bengaluru’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had saved the final shot by Mohun Bagan’s Greg Stewart but it did not prove enough in the end.
Jason Cummings, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco and Dimitri Petratos made successful attempts for Mohun Bagan while Edgar Mendez, Rahul Bheke and Pedro Capo converted for Bengaluru FC.
The Mariners will face NorthEast Untied FC, which beat Shillong Lajong 3-0 in the first semifinal on Monday, in the summit clash on August 31. | Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri/The Hindu
Sunil Chhetri was the difference in the opening half as the former India captain converted a penalty in the 43rd minute to give a well-deserved lead to Bengaluru FC.
Colaco was hauled up for pushing Vinith Venkatesh inside the penalty box, giving Bengaluru the chance to alter the scoreline.
Chhetri could have easily found the break earlier, in the 12th minute, when he came at the end of a miscued clearance from the Mohun Bagan defender Thomas Aldred.
The forward made a solo run into the Mohun Bagan box but delayed his attempt allowing Kaith to close in and kill the chance.
Mohun Bagan mounted a barrage of attacks after conceding the goal. Colaco and Spanish defender Alberto Rodriguez were denied by the woodwork on two successive occasions when Gurpreet was beaten all ends up.
Mohun Bagan came with a greater resolve after the break but it was Bengaluru which doubled its lead in the 50th minute mounting a fine counter-attack.
Argentine forward Jorge Pereyra Diaz got the ball in the Mohun Bagan box and set up Vinith, who made no mistake with the tap-in.
Mohun Bagan coach Jose Molina introduced the Scottish play-maker Stewart in the 54th minute and that transformed the Mariners’ attacking prowess.
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Mohun Bagan pulled one back in the 68th minute when the Bengaluru FC defender Rahul Bheke made the error of pulling Manvir down in the box.
Petratos made no mistake in converting it before Anirudh Thapa found the net in the 84th minute with a rasping pile-driver to bring the home side back in the game.
The result: Semifinal 2: Mohun Bagan SG 2 (Dimitri Petratos 68-pen, Anirudh Thapa 84) bt Bengaluru FC 2 (Sunil Chhetri 43-pen, Vinith Venkatesh 51) (Mohun Bagan beat Bengaluru FC 4-3 via tie-breaker)
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