Sunil Chhetri converted a controversial late penalty as Bengaluru FC secured a 1-1 draw against 10-man East Bengal in their Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 fixture at Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. The result dashed East Bengal’s playoff aspirations, while Bengaluru FC reclaimed third place in the standings with 38 points from 23 matches. East Bengal remains in eighth place with 28 points from 23 matches.
East Bengal took an early lead through Cameroonian forward Raphael Messi Bouli in the 11th minute. The goal came after a duel between EBFC midfielder Saul Crespo and Bengaluru defender Fanai near the Bengaluru box, with the ball falling favorably for Messi Bouli to finish.
The home side created further chances to extend their lead. EBFC winger Vishnu Puthiya Valappill missed a significant opportunity near the half-hour mark, failing to hit the target from close range after a defensive error by Suresh Singh Wangjam. Dimitrios Diamantakos also failed to beat Bengaluru goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu after the Kolkata-based opened up their defence.
East Bengal’s task was made more difficult in first-half added time when Diamantakos was sent off for head-butting Bengaluru’s Alberto Noguera.
Bengaluru FC, benefiting from the numerical advantage, intensified their pressure in the second half. However, they struggled to break down a resolute East Bengal defense.
East Bengal almost doubled their lead in the 75th minute on a counter-attack, but David Lalhlansanga was denied by a crucial save from Sandhu. Bengaluru’s frustration continued as substitute Siva Sakthi hit the woodwork in the 76th minute, followed by Aleksandar Jovanovic’s header striking the post in the 80th minute.
The decisive moment came late in the match when defender Nishu Kumar was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area, leading to a penalty for Bengaluru. Chhetri stepped up and calmly converted, sending goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill the wrong way, to level the scores and end East Bengal play-off hopes.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.