ISL 2021-22: Bengaluru beats Chennaiyin 4-2 in a much needed win

It was only Bengaluru FC’s second win of the season and it sent the side eighth in the table with nine points from as many matches, while Chennaiyin is remained sixth with 11 points from eight games.

Chennaiyin established an upper hand again and came close on multiple occasions, but it was BFC which had the last laugh.

Bengaluru FC notched up a much-needed win, beating Chennaiyin FC 4-2 in an error-strewn but entertaining fare at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Thursday.

The result, which will feel like oxygen for coach Marco Pezzaiuoli, was sealed in the space of four second-half minutes. At 2-2 and 20 minutes go, BFC’s substitutes Sunil Chhetri and Danish Farooq combined, moving the ball from the left to the centre and into the path of Cleiton Silva.

AS IT HAPPENED |

The Brazilian’s dummy left Udanta with a clear view of the goal and the 25-year-old slotted it neatly into the bottom left corner.

Immediately after, a blunder from Chennaiyin goalie Vishal Kaith – his second of the night – put the result beyond doubt, when he fluffed an easy take off a corner and Pratik Chowdhary – another substitute – bundled it in.

It was only BFC’s second win of the season and it sent the side eighth in the table with nine points from as many matches. Chennaiyin is placed sixth with 11 points from eight games.

But at the start of the evening, it was all Chennaiyin. The sensational Mirlan Murzaev put his team ahead as early as the fourth minute with a fine solo goal. Germanpreet Singh set the Kyrgyzstan player free on the left flank and the attacker side-stepped a defender, moved to his right and fired past Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Forward Rahim Ali should have scored thrice in the opening 20 minutes alone. He was twice thwarted by Gurpreet and on the other occasion failed to tap in a perfect low cross from the left.

So dominant was Chennaiyin that Pezzaiuoli pulled Ajith Kumar out and introduced Udanta Singh. The level immediately lifted as Chennaiyin came under sustained pressure. BFC defender Parag Shrivas missed a sitter, sending the ball over the bar from five yards out before Kaith kept out a glancing header from Prince Ibara.

But the equaliser soon arrived, through a penalty, which Silva converted after Jerry Lalrinzuala was penalised for handling the ball. On the stroke of half-time, Kaith’s mistake gave BFC the lead. The goalie charged out to punch a corner to safety, but barely touched it and it went in off BFC defender Alan Costa’s shoulder.

After the restart, Rahim finally scored, but via a gift from Gurpreet. Murzaev’s low cross from the left was hit goalward by Rahim, albeit weakly, only for the Indian National team goalie to fumble awkwardly and let the ball in.

Chennaiyin established an upper hand again and came close on multiple occasions, but it was BFC which had the last laugh.

Result:

Chennaiyin FC 2 (Murzaev 4, Rahim 49) lost to Bengaluru FC 4 (Silva 39,  Costa 43, Udanta 70, Chowdhary 74).