Mohun Bagan Super Giant secured their place in the Durand Cup final after an exhilarating semi-final clash against Bengaluru FC, which ended in a 4-3 penalty shootout victory for the defending champions.
The match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata was a rollercoaster of emotions for both teams. Bengaluru FC started strongly and took a commanding 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from their talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri and the young Vinith Venkatesh.
Chhetri’s goal came from the penalty spot, while Vinith capitalized on a defensive error to double Bengaluru’s advantage early in the second half.
However, Mohun Bagan, backed by their passionate home crowd, refused to surrender. They mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, spearheaded by their attacking trio of Dimi Petratos, Anirudh Thapa, and Manvir Singh.
Petratos pulled one back for Bagan from the penalty spot after Manvir Singh was fouled in the box. The equalizer was a moment of sheer brilliance, with Thapa unleashing a thunderous volley from the edge of the area that left Bengaluru’s goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu with no chance.
With the scores level at 2-2 after regulation time, the match went to a penalty shootout. Both teams displayed nerves of steel, converting their first three penalties.
However, Bagan’s goalkeeper Vishal Kaith emerged as the hero, saving two crucial penalties from Bengaluru’s Halicharan Narzary and Aleksandar Jovanovic. This paved the way for Bagan to clinch a 4-3 victory in the shootout and book their spot in the final.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will now face NorthEast United in the Durand Cup final on Saturday. The Mariners will be aiming to defend their title and add another trophy to their illustrious cabinet. The final promises to be a thrilling encounter between two in-form teams, and fans can expect a fiercely contested battle for the coveted Durand Cup.
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