Team Herald
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PANJIM: Bengaluru FC played out a thrilling 1-1 draw against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, on Sunday.
Erick Paartalu scored a 82nd minute leveller to cancel Diego Mauricio’s early strike. Though the scoreline was 1-1, there was plenty of action throughout the game.
Surely we have seen some of the finest saves being made in this match by both the keepers. Arshdeep Singh was exceptional throughout the game. He made some of the league’s best saves while Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made two clinical saves late in the game to save a point for his team.
Bengaluru fielded and unchanged side which lost against Kerala Blasters while there was one change with Steven Taylor returning to the starting XI after serving his one-match suspension.
Bengaluru were stunned by an eighth-minute goal from Mauricio which came against the run of play. Jerry Mawihmingthanga took a quick free-kick to Manuel Onwu on the right just outside the BFC penalty area and the latter played a superb low cross in to the middle. Mauricio, who was in the box, scored to put his side ahead.
Moosa’s men came very close to scoring when Udanta Singh flashed a cross across the face of goal, but the pass was too quick for an onrushing Sunil Chhetri.
Another chance went begging for BFC when Amay Morajkar floated a cross in for Rahul Bheke but his header missed the mark.
BFC created chance after chance but were let down not only by their sloppy finishing but were also thwarted by Odisha keeper Arshdeep brilliance in goal. One of his best saves came when Taylor failed to clear Bheke’s long throw-in and Erik Paartalu latched on to the loose ball and struck from the edge of the box. Arshdeep dived acrobatically to make a one-handed save. The keeper pulled off yet another save to deny Bheke, who tried to divert in a Cleiton Silva corner.
Arshdeep continued from where he left off as he came with yet another fine save to frustrate BFC. This time the custodian denied Kristian Opseth free-kick with a diving save. He then came with an acrobatic save to stop Gaurva Bora’s header from going into his own goal.
OFC’s Manuel Onwu threaded a through ball to Jerry but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was there to keep the youngster’s grounder out of the goal.
Arshdeep nearly gifted BFC the goal when he fumbled Parag Srivas’ long throw-in but Opseth just couldn’t make the best of the opportunity as he shot off target.
Cleiton Silva nearly scored the equalizer for BFC in the 68th minute from a set-piece. The Brazilian’s free-kick beat the wall and the keeper, but hit the crossbar and went out of the goal.
BFC were finally rewarded with the equalising goal in the 82nd minute. Paartalu nodded in Cleiton’s in-swinging corner to get his team back into the game.
OFC missed an opportunity to regain their lead within minutes when Mauricio set up Daniel Lalhlimpuia in the box, who got past his marker, but his shot clipped the upright. At the other end, Chhetri blasted his shot over the crossbar from close.
Gurpreet made a stunning save late in the game to keep out Jerry’s close-range attempt.
Arshdeep continued from where he left off as he came with yet another fine save to frustrate BFC. This time the custodian denied Kristian Opseth free-kick with a diving save. He then came with an acrobatic save to stop Gaurva Bora’s header going into his own goal.
OFC’s Manuel Onwu threaded a through ball to Jerry but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was there to keep the youngster’s grounder out of goal.
Arshdeep nearly gifted BFC the goal when he fumbled Parag Srivas’ long throw-in but Opseth just couldn’t make the best of the opportunity as he shot off target.
Cleiton Silva nearly scored the equalizer for BFC in the 68th minute from a set-piece. The Brazilian’s free-kick beat the wall and the keeper, but hit the crossbar and went out of the goal.
BFC were finally rewarded with the equalising goal in the 82nd minute. Paartalu nodded in Cleiton’s in-swinging corner to get his team back into the game.
Gurpreet made a stunning save late in the game to keep out Jerry’s close range attempt.
Hyderabad FC end up splitting points with Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC shared a point each as they cancelled each other out in a goalless draw in the Hero Indian Super League at the Tilak Maidan Stadium, here on Sunday.
While Hyderabad ended up drawing their third game on the trot, Jamshedpur nabbed their first win of the calendar year, after a treble of losses.
