Bengaluru FC kicked off their Durand Cup campaign with a convincing win against Indian Navy FT on a rainy evening at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. In a one-sided game, the South Indian giants displayed their dominance with an easy 4-0 victory over their Group B rivals.
Gerard Zaragoza, the coach of Bengaluru FC who took charge of the team in last season’s mid-season after the sacking of Simon Grayson, opted to field his first-team players along with two debutants named Pedro Capo and Alberto Noguera, along with Rahul Bheke, who is making a comeback for BFC after three years. Later, three other players named Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Mohamed Salah, and Vinith Venkatesh made their debut for the Blues as they came on as substitutes in the second half. Indian Navy FT, on the other hand, coached by Raman Rai, opted to field his strongest XI against the Blues, including players like Pintu Mahata, Britto PM, and Novin Gurung, who previously plied their trade in the top circuit of Indian football.
The match started on a pitch that showed signs of wear and tear. Around the 9th minute, Shiva missed a close chance from a corner. The deadlock was broken in the next minute when Alberto Noguera sent a dangerous corner to Rahul Bheke, who slotted it into the net with a header. In the 12th minute, Shiva missed an open sitter and hit the post in the next minute. Despite taking an early lead, Bengaluru FC’s gameplay was midfield-oriented, and they had almost 70% possession.
In the 34th minute, Indian Navy came close to scoring, but Abhishek Joshi’s header hit the side netting. In the next minute, Shiva Shakti was substituted due to a knee injury, making way for Bengaluru FC’s captain Sunil Chhetri, who started on the bench for today’s game.
In the 39th minute, Ryan Williams received a through ball inside the box but was fouled by Navjot before he could shoot the ball into the net. This resulted in a penalty for the Blues and a straight red card for Navjot, as he was the last man in defense. Sunil Chhetri converted the penalty with his first touch after coming on the field. The first half ended with a 2-0 scoreline in favor of the Blues.
The second half kicked off in the same fashion as the first, with the Blues continuing to assert their dominance. In the 47th minute, Shivaldo took a great shot from inside the box, but Indian Navy goalkeeper Vishnu made a great save to deny him from scoring. In the next minute, the referee showed a yellow card to Nikhil Poojary for a foul. Again, in the 52nd minute, Vishnu made another great save and later made two or three more saves.
In the 53rd minute, Diaz and Sana Singh came in place of Jovanovic and Shivaldo. After this substitution, Bengaluru FC shifted to an all-Indian back four. In the 55th minute, Sunil Chhetri almost got a 1-on-1 chance with the Indian Navy goalkeeper, but the ball went a bit out of control. Then Ryan Williams got a chance but was kept out by the Indian Navy goalkeeper.
In the 67th minute, Emanuel of Indian Navy received a yellow card for a foul on Nikhil Poojary. Later, a golden chance was missed by Sunil Chhetri, who couldn’t manage to keep the ball down and direct it towards the net.
In the 80th minute, Jorge Diaz opened his scoring sheet for Bengaluru FC. A rebound from Chhetri’s shot from a corner came back to Chhetri, who this time passed to Pereyra Diaz inside the box. Diaz headed it comfortably into the net, making the lead 3-0.
In the 91st minute, Diaz started a run almost from the halfway line, went 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper, who could do absolutely nothing to stop Diaz, and completed his brace in his Bengaluru FC debut, making the score line 4-0. After a few minutes, the referee signaled the end of the one-way game for Bengaluru FC, who absolutely dominated the entire match, as the score line shows.
Bengaluru FC’s opening performance in the Durand Cup was indeed impressive. However, Gerard Zaragoza’s team must remain cautious, recognizing that today’s performance was against a significantly weaker Indian Navy team compared to both Bengaluru FC and other Group B opponents. The real test for Bengaluru lies in their upcoming matches against Inter Kashi and Mohammedan SC, which will determine their qualification for the next stage. The convincing win against Indian Navy FT has undoubtedly set a positive tone for their Durand Cup campaign, and the Bengaluru fans who cheered their hearts out for the team today will eagerly look forward to seeing how their team performs in the remainder of the tournament
Follow IFTWC for more news on Indian football.
