Durand Cup 2022: FC Goa roars back to draw 2-2 with Bengaluru FC
The thrilling Durand Cup clash between FC Goa and Bengaluru FC at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal, on August 30 ended with a 2-2 draw
Durand Cup: FC Goa roars back to draw 2-2 with Bengaluru FCWithin the regulation time, Sunil Chhetri in the 24th minute and Sivasakhti in the 26th minute were the goalscorers for Bengaluru FC.
In contrast, Phrangki Buam in the 53rd minute and Lesly Rebello in the 64th minute scored for FC Goa.
Bengaluru FC suffered an early setback as Prince Ibarra pulled a muscle early in the game and had to be replaced by Sivasakthi. They finally got a breakthrough when veteran Indian striker Sunil Chhetri with a powerful shot past the FC Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari from a freekick.
Two minutes later, Bruno Ramires lifted a tremendous diagonal pass to Udanta Singh on the left flank. The 26-year-old Manipur native headed it off to the substitute Sivasakthi, who slotted the ball into the net to make it 2-0 for Bengaluru FC.
The Blue continued their winning momentum as Sunil Chhetri came close to further widening the lead but failed to convert his freekick. The first half ended with 2-0 information for Bengaluru FC.
FC Goa began the second half aggressively, and Phrangki Buam slotted the ball into the net to narrow the deficit to 2-1 after taking control of the loose ball and edging past the goalkeeper.
Udanta Singh, Sunil Chhetri, and Sivasakth put forth a brilliant display of triangular play before passing the ball to midfielder Sivasakthi. However, FC Goa goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari held firm to deny Bengaluru FC their third goal.
FC Goa tried to build pressure on the defensive line of Bengaluru FC. Lesly Rebello broke into the penalty box and fired a shot through the legs of the keeper to equalize the score. Neither side failed to score more goals, and the match ended with a draw.
Both squads walked away with one point each as the match ended with a draw. However, just one point was enough to ensure a second-place finish on the Group A chart for Bengaluru FC, securing a spot in the quarterfinals of the Durand Cup.
Bengaluru FC will lock horns with Mohammedan FC in their final group stage clash of the Durand Cup on September 1