Bengaluru FC beat Goa FC 2-0 in ISL first leg semifinals
The Blues will head into the second game of this fixture with a 2-0 aggregate in their favour
Hyderabad: Bengaluru FC scored a 2-0 win against FC Goa in the first leg of their semi-final tie of the Indian Super League (ISL)at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday night.
The Blues will thus head into the second game of this fixture with a 2-0 aggregate in their favour, as they marshalled proceedings in this match with five on-target shots despite holding only 42.2% of the ball possession.
Odei Onaindia brought down a free kick deep inside the Bengaluru FC box and delivered a headed pass in the path of Udanta Singh on the right to produce the first reasonable attacking move of the match in the 27th minute. The attacker unleashed a dinked shot that was blocked near the goal, though.
Just after the half-hour mark, Bengaluru FC’s Ryan Williams responded with a similar effort from the exact angle, albeit at the opposite end of the field. Williams had the chance to go for a cross from the wider position, but in the absence of a figure at the centre, he went for an ambitious dipping effort that was unable to find its way to the back of the net.
The Blues bagged the breakthrough in the 42nd minute with Edgar Mendez leading the charge for them through his consistent lateral deliveries.
One such incisive cross, directed for the onrushing Williams at the centre, was instead met and hammered in by FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan, resulting in an own goal adjudged to his name.
Williams returned the favour in the 51st minute as he added dynamism to a Bengaluru FC offensive move through a slick pass that pierced the Gaurs’ backline in one go and landed at the feet of Namgyal Bhutia.
The latter squared in a low cross for Mendez and the attacker made light work of that with a straightforward tap-in to the bottom right corner, resulting in the home side doubling their lead.
FC Goa and Bengaluru FC will face each other in the second leg of this semi-final tie at the home of the former on April 6.
The result: Bengaluru FC 2 (Sandesh Jhingan OG – 42’, Edgar Mendez 51’) beat FC Goa 0.
