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FULL TIME: BENGALURU 0-0 NORTHEAST UNITED : The Highlanders walk off with a big, big point as they restrict Bengaluru to a goalless draw. Quite the start for Jarni as the gaffer -- a point against the defending champion in the campaign opener. Bengaluru will regret not finishing off its chances, especially after the performance put up by Augusto on his debut. NorthEast came closing to scoring but was denied by the crossbar twice. In the end, it ends in a stalemate.
94' - Off goes the whistle and the match ends!
92' - Chhetri pulls off an acrobatic effort inside the box, looking for a goal, but it goes in vain as the overhead kick is blocked. Just over two minutes pending.
90'- Four minutes have been added on.
88' - The rain doesn't seem to stop at the Kanteerava! NorthEast United makes another change as star player Gyan is replaced by Maximilliano Barreiro. Bengaluru, meanwhile, removes Onwu for Kean Lewis.
81' - Lyngdoh returns to BFC! The midfielder replaces Khabra. 10 minutes of regulation time pending. Meanwhile, Ninthoi has been introduced to replace Kadam in the midfield.
76' - Udanta sprints down the right flank with Nishu overlapping. Nishu's cross is saved by the NorthEast goalkeeper.
71' - Milan Singh has been brought on to replace Khawlring in the midfield by NorthEast United.
67' - Subhasish gets a yellow card for taking too long to get the goalkick in.
65' - SAVED! Dimas wins a free-kick from just outside the box after Tlang brings him down. He takes the free-kick and after a stay of passes, Nishu volleys the ball from the box. However, Subhasish stops the thumping strike from Nishu. Good football from both players!
62' - A decent cross from Nishu from the right wing goes waste as neither Chhetri nor Onwu get to the end of it.
60'- Just over half an hour remaining and it is pouring down in Bengaluru right now. None of the teams have found the decisive goal yet.
52' - OFF THE CROSSBAR! Yet another effort from NorthEast United comes off the post, this time though it is Gyan. Chaves wins the ball in the midfield after a poor dummy from Chhetri; he travels with the ball in the center before crossing it for Gyan. Gyan, taking his time, stops the ball and shoots, only to see it come off the crossbar!
47' - NorthEast United is showing a better performance from the first half already as the attack pounces on Bengaluru. Kadam rushes in from the left flank before unleashing an effort from distance, which is stopped by Gurpreet between the sticks.
46' - Subhasish shines early into the second half as he comes off the line to collect the ball as Udanta rushes towards the goal from the right.
Half time: Bengaluru 0-0 NorthEast United: No goals in the first half as the teams walk off at the break. Augusto was in good form for BFC on his debut but his throughballs have gone in vain as the host has not capitalised from its clear-cut chances. On the other hand, NorthEast came close to drawing the first blood towards the end of the first half as Chaves tested Gurpreet at goal and later had his effort hit the crossbar. Gyan, the skipper, found the net in the 36th minute but was flagged offside. Second half awaits.
45' - A minute has been added on.
42' - Chhetri gets furious! Chhetri is picked out by a cross from Nishu from the right wing. He takes a shot from a close range, which he claims, hits the arm of NorthEast United defender Kai at the goal line. Chhetri calls for a handball, but the referee isn't interested. Chhetri, thus, is furious.
37' - What an effort from Tlang! The midfielder carries the ball from deep midfield further up the pitch, putting pressure on the Bengaluru defence. Just as he is tackled, he passes the ball to Chaves, who then plays it to the right wing. Amazing effort from Tlang as NorthEast is now testing Bengaluru.
35' - CHAOS IN THE BOX! Bheke fails to clear the ball in the box and Gurpreet is slow to collect it. After a series of miscued shots, the final ball falls into the path of Chaves, who takes a shot from inside the box but the effort hits the crossbar! Ashique was trying to mark Tlang in the box but Chaves was alert to pick out the ball, only to see it not enter the goal.
30' - Corner for Bengaluru and Dimas takes it. He sends a good delivery in from the corner, and Ashique runs to attempt a volley. His feet do not quite connect with the delivery as the ball rises up in the air instead of flying into the net. A good ball from Dimas nonetheless.
27'- CHANCE! Augusto finds Udanta on the right with an excellent through ball. A golden opportunity to bring the Blues up, Udanta ruins the chance as he shoots behind the net!
24' - A cheeky gesture from Chaves, who stops an onrushing Ashique and then goes down on the ground in a dramatic manner, in an attempt to extract a reaction from the referee. However, the referee is uninterested.
20' - CHANCE! Chaves, who was rather quiet so far, tests Gurpreet as he registers the first shot on target of the game. He takes on Juanan and cuts in with his right foot, to shoot from distance. It takes an outstretched Gurpreet to stop the attempt.
18' - A miscued effort from Chhetri makes it way away from the goal. It comes after Dimas' shot is ricocheted off a NorthEast defender. Not often do you see Sunil missing those!
16' - CLOSE! A superb run and dribbling skills from Ashique sees the BFC debutant come close to the goal. As Juanan's finely orchestrated pass finds Ashique on the left wing, the Kerala-born player sprints through the flank, before penetrating the box. He takes a shot from the left side of the box, which misses the far post by a handful of inches! Great effort nonetheless from Ashique.
14' - Augusto frees Onwu up top as he sends a pass from deep midfield. Onwu makes the run into the box, waiting for support from his midfield. Udanta makes his way but the build-up dies as the NorthEast defence charges into the box.
10' - Ashique is playing as a wing-back tonight. He has been seen guarding the left-side of defence but whilst going forward, he has been charging down the left flank. This is quite different from how he played for the national team, wherein he played primarily as a left midfielder.
5' - Udanta makes a run through the middle and finds Raphael on the right flank with a fine pass. Raphael whips in a cross but it is safely collected by Subhasish at goal.
3' - CHANCE! Chhetri finds possession of the ball in the middle and he sends a long ball forward for an onrushing Udanta. Udanta, from the right, makes the run but fails to get on the end of it.
1' - KICKOFF! Bengaluru vs NorthEast United is underway.
7:20 pm: It is raining at the venue as the players walk out on the field. A huge banner is unfurled from the Bengaluru fans which has the faces of Eugeneson, Bheke, Gurpreet, Juanan and Chhetri. Time for the national anthem now.
6:42 pm: Bengaluru looks to have opted for a 4-3-3 shape with Chhetri, Udanta Onwu leading the attack. Augusto, who joined BFC from Chennaiyin, finds a place in the midfield alongside promising players Dimas and Ashique. The defence sees Juanan and Khabra in the center. As for NorthEast United, which looks to have lined up in a 4-2-3-1, Ghanaian Gyan will carry the goalscoring responsibility with some support from Chaves. Youngster Khawlring has been picked in the midfield by Jarni; Tlang and Kadam will play on the wings. Unlike Bengaluru, NorthEast has gone for a foreign centre-back pairing of Leudo and Komorski.
6:18 pm: Both teams have reached the venue, and team news can be expected in the next 15 minutes.
6:00 pm: Good evening, folks. The Kanteerava stadium, which plays host to tonight's match, has had some rainfall before the match. Fans heading to Bengaluru's home ground have been permitted to carry foldable umbrellas (which is usually prohibited) inside the stadium for today's game.
Match preview
Bengaluru will be wary of NorthEast United, but the ISL defending champion, having reinforced a title-winning squad, will start as a favourite.
Bengaluru certainly looks the stronger unit with half of its squad being the first-choice picks for India coach Igor Stimac in the national team.
The franchise has compensated for the absence of its star striker Miku by signing Osasuna striker Manuel Onwu. The midfield options for Bengaluru are likely to be the envy of most clubs.
ISL 2019-20: Full schedule, fixtures and where to watch
The fact that new recruit Raphael Augusto, the most adored player in Chennaiyin FC, is not guaranteed a spot in the starting XI for Monday’s clash speaks volumes about the strength of the squad. Dimas Delgado, Erik Paartalu and India winger Ashique Kuruniyan are all vying for the midfield spots. Season preview: Miku-less BFC braces up for title defence
NorthEast United will once again start the new season with a new coach after the departure of Eelco Schattorie to Kerala Blasters. Schattorie may have taken along the team’s star striker Bartholomew Ogbeche, but new coach Robert Jarni will have at his disposal the service of the illustrious Ghanaian Asamoah Gyan. Season preview: After first ever playoff finish, NEUFC back to drawing board
Where will the match be telecast?
Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United FC will be shown on Star Sports network and can also be streamed live on Hotstar. The kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM IST.
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