Please tune in to our post-match analysis of the match at the Kanteerava
Defending champion Bengaluru FC secured its first win of the ISL 2019 campaign in style as it cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Chennaiyin FC. Erik Paartalu opened the scoring in the 14th minute, while captain Sunil Chhetri doubled the home side's tally 11 minutes later with a sublime half-volley. Substitute Semboi Haokip struck in the 84th minute to round off a successful outing for Carles Cuadrat's men.
The result sees Bengaluru move to the fifth spot with six points from four games, while Chennaiyin remains at the bottom with one point from four games.
90+3' Thoi's header finds the roof of the net and that is the last play. Chennaiyin FC's torrid start to the season continues as Bengaluru FC runs away as the winner.
90+3' Last change of the game: Rino Anto comes on for Chhetri for the final minute of the game.
90' What a strike that is! Haokip wriggles and wrestles his way past his man and gets a ferocious drive off, but Kaith makes a great save to deny him. And Kaith gets booked a minute later for handling he ball outside the box.
89' Change for Bengaluru FC: Augusto is replaced by Eugeneson Lyngdoh.
87' How did he miss that?!? Dimas weighs his pass to perfection as he squares it for Chhetri from the left and the captain has the goal at his mercy, but his strike sails just wide.
84' Chennaiyin's defensive nightmare continues as Haokip, who came on in the second half, sneaks past Sabia and beats Kaith to send this full-throated crowd into raptures. It's a huge moment for the young man and a safety net for Bengaluru FC.
84' This has to be the game. Semboi Haokip outmuscles Eli Sabia and toe pokes the ball between Vishal Kaith's legs to make it 3-0.
83' How unfortunate! Dhanpal Ganesh comes agonisingly close to scoring as his attempt bounces off the post.
80' We're down to the last 10 minutes and Chennaiyin continues to look for its first goal since February! And guess who that goal came against? Bengaluru FC.
79' Third and final change for Chennaiyin FC: Thoi Singh comes on for Rafael Crivellaro. Thoi was the side's top scorer last season with four goals.
75' Chhetri booked for simulation! The Bengaluru skipper is brought down in the box by Edwin and there is clear contact, but the referee sees no foul! Some dubious decisions being made by the referee here.
72' Penalty? Augusto puts his foot in Rafael's path and it looks like a spot kick. He clearly obstructs the Chennaiyin attacker from taking a shot, but the ref sees othwerise.
71' Change for Bengaluru FC: Nishu Kumar is replaced by Semboi
70' That's just woeful from Rafael. He attempts a shot from 30 yards out, but can't get anywhere close to the target. I doubt that shot would have gone in even if there were four goalposts in place!
69' Fine chance for Bengaluru. Dimas plays it to Udanta down the centre and the winger plays a wily backheel to Chhetri, but it's just short. Bengaluru making more inroads now and looks likely to add a third to its tally.
65' So Chennaiyin FC has never recovered from a 2-0 scoreline to win a game in ISL history. Can tonight be the game?
63' Silly tackle from Tondonba. He's no where near the ball and simply barges into Udanta. It looks like an obvious yellow card, but the ref sees thinks othwerise. Cuadrat, understandably, is furious ........ and Cuadrat receives a yellow card for his reaction.
61' Second change of the evening for Chennaiyin: Dragos Firtulescu replaces Andre Schembri.
60' What a play this is! Khabra and Bheke play a cheeky one-two and find Chhetri in midfield. The skipper does extremely well to release Ashiuqe on goal, but the youngster doesn't have the right angle to get a shot off.
57' Much more positive from Chennaiyin. The side is finally able to stitch passes together and get some sort of momentum going.
54' First change of the evening - Chhangte comes on for Rahim Ali.
51' So close! Dhanpal Ganesh does well to get to the cross and heads it with plenty of power, but can't find the target.
50' Fine strike from Edwin. He lets one rip from the edge of the box and it swerves and dips and takes a deflection for a corner.
48' As the commentator notes - Chennaiyin FC has not scored an away goal since November 25, 2018! Now that's one record Gregory won't be proud of.
46' Chhangte is warming up on the sidelines and his introduction will inject some much-needed pace for Chennayin.
46' Aaaand we're back!
A thundering header from Erik Paaratlu and a phenomenal strike from Sunil Chhetri sees Bengaluru FC storm to a 2-0 lead against Chennaiyin FC at the end of the first half.
45+2' Two minutes of added time....and Valsksis picks up a yellow. He gets his arm around Khabra, but it did not really warrant a booking.
43' Decent chance for Chennaiyin as Vanspaul is played into the box, but his volley takes a huge deflection off Nishu.
41' Speaking of Rafael, he's had a forgettable half. In the few instances that Chennaiyin did get the ball, he's just given it away!
39' It's Rafael vs Raphael and the latter is down injured. The BFC midfielder goes after Rafael Crivellaro, but ends up getting struck on the foot. No damage done, he looks alright to continue..
36' Kaith with another good save. Augusto plays a fine through ball from the right in search of Udanta. The winger beats his man, but Kaith comes off his line and clears it with ease.
31' First save of the game for Gurpreet and it has taken 31 minutes! Chennaiyin makes a rare attack and a cross is floated into the box. Rahim gets off a meek header and it's catching practice for Gurpreet.
30' Bengaluru has been infallible so far. The home side has offered absolutely no room whatsoever and is piling the pressure on this crumbling Chennaiyin defence. Gregory, for one, will be particularly unhappy with his side's performance so far. A few changes during the interval, especially Chhangte's arrival, could perhaps change things.
27' It's almost 3-0! If Chennaiyin has conceded only two so far, it is simply because of how brilliant Kaith has been between the sticks. He does extremely well to deny Augusto from close and follows it up with another strong save against Ashique.
25' What a way to score your first goal of the season eh? That strike from Chhetri will most certainly be a contender for goal of the season! And rubbing salt to the Chennaiyin wounds is that Augusto came up with the assist.
25' CHEEEEETRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! WHAT A SCREAMER THAT IS! Augusto plays a delightful long ball and Chhetri gets to it and slams home a phenomenal volley to make it 2-0. There was just no stopping that!
21' Ouch, that looks painful. Valskis and Paaratlu clatter and both end up with cuts. Paaratlu has a bloodied eyebrow, while Valskis appears to have injured the back of his head.
20' Silly from Kaith. Udanta plays Paartalu outside the box and he lobs it to Dimas. Kaith comes off his line but takes his eyes off the ball and nearly loses it, but manages to recover just in time to avoid conceding in embarrassing fashion.
19' Close! Paartalu nearly makes it 2-0, but Kaith is a little more alert his time around.
Bengaluru has completely dominated this opening quarter of play. With close to 60 percent of possession and four shots on target, the home side has called the shots. Chennaiyin, on the other hand, hasn't managed a single shot yet. Or even a single move in opposition box for that matter.
14' Paartalu is a towering presence in the box and has looked threating so far, but he was barely even challenged this time out. The Aussie rose, directed his header with finesse, and went on to celebrate with the corner flag. Typical Aussie celebration, eh? (Hint: Tim Cahill)
14' GOAL TO BENGALURU! The big man Paartalu bags the opening goal as he heads in Dimas' corner. I'm just going to say it....I told you so!
12' ANOTHER ONE! Chennaiyin FC is caught ball watching as Bengaluru takes a quick throw in. Khabra floats in a fantastic cross and Chhetri gets off a diving header, but is denied by the post. The Chennaiyin defence is doing just about enough to hold on, but at this rate, it looks like the home side will score any minute now.
10' WHAT A CHANCE! Udanta does ever so well to play in a teasing cross and Chhetri can't get to it and neither can Augusto! The Brazilian got a touch, but couldn't control the ball. He was inches way from scoring against his former club!
8' It's one way traffic here. It's a move straight out of the training ground as the corner is played to the edge of the penalty box and Juanan darts in to control it and fire a strong volley. It takes a deflection and the home side has a corner.
6' What a terrific save for Kaith! Bheke with another long throw in finds Augusto on the right, who squares it for Juanan. The midfielder gets off a fine first-time strike, but Kaith shows great reflexes on the near post to deny him.
5' The refereeing in ISL 2019 has received a lot of flak and here's another example: Bheke's leg was on the line when we made that long throw in!
4' Paartaluuuuuuu .........close! Rahul Bheke with one of his famous long throw ins and Paaratlu leaps above his marker to get off a fine header, but it is an easy save for Vishal Kaith.
2' With Paartalu back in the side, Ashique resumes his preferred position on the left wing. And speak of Ashique and he has a shot....but it's off his weaker foot and it doesn't amount to much,
1' KICK OFF
7:29pm: Right then, we're all set for the last game before the international break. Stay tuned!
7:25pm: The two teams step onto the pitch to a rousing round of applause and the Kanteerava Stadium is buzzing with life. Let's hope we're in for a goalfest! (Both teams need the goals, let's face it)
7:22pm: Speaking of the City vs Liverpool match, that's got to be a cracker of a game eh? Trailing Liverpool by six points, Pep Guardiola's side has everything to play for.
7:20pm: Chennaiyin gaffer Gregory says he's got a "special feeling" about today's clash: “There is a special feeling about this match. It's a little bit more than just a game. So at 10 pm when I sit to watch Liverpool vs. Man City, I hope to be there with a bottle of beer and 3 points.”
7:10pm: While Bengaluru, with the likes of Chhetri, Udanta and Augusto has all the firepower, it has somehow struggled to find the goals so far and has managed only one so dar. Chennaiyin, on the other hand, has created ample chances but has been wasteful up front. The two-time champion is yet to score a goal, and has conceded four.
7:05pm: So three games into ISL 2019, Bengaluru is eighth on the table while Chennaiyin is at the bottom. And both teams are yet to win a game yet! Who do you think will come out on top? Head over to Twitter and have your say -
7pm: Hold up....no Chhangte in the starting XI? The electric winger has perhaps been Chennaiyin's best player so far and his absence from the starting line up seems a little worrisome for John Gregory's men. Meanwhile, former Chennaiyin lad Raphael Augusto starts for Bengaluru.
7pm : Here's how the two sides line up for this evening's game:
Bengaluru FC - Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK), Rahul Bheke, Juanan, Harmanjot Khabra, Nishu Kumar, Udanta Singh, Dimas Delgado, Raphael Augusto, Erik Paartalu, Ashique Kuruniyan, Sunil Chhetri (C).
Chennaiyin FC - Vishal Kaith (GK), Tondonba Singh, Lucian Goian (C), Eli Sabia, Edwin Vanspaul, Anirudh Thapa, Dhanpal Ganesh, Rafael Crivellaro, Andre Schembri, Rahim Ali, Nerijus Valskis.
Hey guys, Shyam here and I'm super stoked to be live blogging this evening's clash. Although it is a little too soon to call this a derby, Bengaluru and Chennaiyin most certainly do have one of the fiercest rivalries in the ISL. And of course, Chennaiyin did bag its second title by Bengaluru at the Kanteerava Stadium two in the fourth season.
My colleague Aashin Prasad takes a look at the rivalry these two clubs share, the kind of expectations players go into such a game with and what we can look forward to today.
READ - Bengaluru-Chennaiyin’s bubbling rivalry: 'The Kanteeravazo’, bragging rights and stare-offs
Match Preview
Three games into the ISL season, little would have Bengaluru FC (BFC) and Chennaiyin FC thought that they would be languishing in the lower rungs of the table, winless.
Chennaiyin, the 2017-18 winner, is rock bottom with just one point. BFC, the defending champion, is just two places above with three points. When the two clash at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, to rekindle what has developed into a fierce rivalry, they will be desperate for a change of script.
READ | 'The Kanteeravazo’, bragging rights and stare-offs: Bengaluru-Chennaiyin’s bubbling rivalry
Changing dynamics
The most glaring of troubles for either team is the complete lack of goals. BFC has one and Chennaiyin zero. Carles Cuadrat, the BFC manager, sought to take heart from the number of chances created -- 25 shots (on and off target). So did John Gregory, his Chennaiyin counterpart, claiming 40 shots in the last two games alone.
But it is increasingly clear that BFC is finding life tough without Miku, the star striker who scored 20 goals in 32 appearances over the last two campaigns, while Chennaiyin continues to miss the services of Jeje Lalpekhlua as he is recovering from knee surgery.
“These things happen. We now have to change the dynamic,” said Cuadrat. “Last game [vs. Jamshedpur] we created chances with six to seven players. One day we will score. I hope it's against Chennaiyin.”
READ| Bengaluru FC coach Cuadrat: Referees should be accountable for decisions
Big concern
For Gregory, it is also important not to carry the baggage of last season’s last-place finish. “The points don’t reflect the performances and in that, we are very similar to BFC,” Gregory said. “But it’s all about results. We didn't get enough of them last season and this season we have started in a similar fashion. It is a big concern because I don't want a repeat of last year.”
“But I am confident that we will get a good performance,” he added. “There is a special feeling about this match. It's a little bit more than just a game. So at 10 pm when I sit to watch Liverpool vs. Man City, I hope to be there with a bottle of beer and 3 points.”
MATCH BROADCAST DETAILS
The match will be shown on the Star Sports network and can also be streamed live on Hotstar. Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.
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