Bengaluru FC has made a habit out of fighting back from behind for victory in the Durand Cup. They did it yet again to register a 3-2 win over Army Green in their quarterfinal match at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata on Saturday.
Wungngayam Muirang, Leon Augustine and Namgyal Bhutia scored for Bengaluru while Lallawmkima and Vibin TV found the target for Army Green, both from the penalty spot.
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Army Green created pressure early on in the match and earned a penalty in the ninth minute. Lallawmkima scored from the spot to the give the regimental side the lead.
However Bengaluru, coached by Naushad Moosa, did not take long to bounce back. Muirang scored the equalizer in the 20th minute through a magical freekick that curled into the back of the net, giving Green’s keeper Sarath no chance whatsoever.
BFC played an attacking game post the equalizer and created quite a few chances but failed to convert any of them in the first half.
Things, however, changed in the second half and Bengaluru strikers started finding their range. Augustine scored the second for his team just minutes into the second half. Bhutia then scored the third just before the three-quarter hour mark to give the Blues a comfortable two-goal cushion.
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Dip Majumdar and Deepak Singh did create chances and put pressure on the Bengaluru defence but they held out till the final minutes when Army Green pulled one back through another spot kick.
Bengaluru FC will now face fellow Indian Super League (ISL) side FC Goa in the second semifinal of the tournament scheduled for September 29. The first semifinal match will be played between Mohammedan Sporting and Bengaluru United on September 28.
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