Sunil Chhetri scored two late goals as Bengaluru FC defeated Mohammedan SC 2-1 in the Indian Super League here on Thursday. The Blues have now beaten all three Kolkata clubs this season. Cesar Manzoki gave the hosts an early lead, but Chhetri came on as a replacement and scored twice to send the visitors home with a memorable victory. Chhetri became the first player in ISL history to score against all 15 teams, and he now leads the league in scoring spot kicks (20).
Mohammedan SC took the lead in the eighth minute as Manzoki rose to head the ball home from Kasimov’s brilliant corner. The second half began with an excellent opportunity for the hosts to double their lead. Manzoki expertly controlled a long ball, setting up play for Franca in the penalty box. But the Brazilian’s effort was much off-goal.
Gerard Zaragoza chose to put in Chhetri in the 53rd minute to give his team more attacking momentum. Jorge Pereyra Diaz was able to take on a broader role as a result of the relocation, while Chhetri became the lead role.
Despite dominating possession, the Blues failed to create opportunities, especially with Chhetri on the pitch. Williams caused some problems with his crosses, but the Australian wasn’t on the same page as Diaz. In the 70th minute, Chernyshov changed things up by replacing Franca with Alexis Gomez. The Argentine almost immediately made an impact for the hosts as Remsanga released him on the left flank during a quick break.
Gomez collected himself and blasted the ball low to the left, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made a superb stop. In the 82nd minute, Manzoki took down Capo in the penalty box, giving the Blues an excellent opportunity to equalize.
Chhetri stepped up and smashed the ball into the far left corner, bringing Bengaluru FC back into the game. Mohammedan SC nearly had the perfect reaction after conceding. Gomez won control and released Remsanga to the right, who found Manzoki in the box. The lanky forward lost his marker with a clever move, but his header hit the post on the way out. In the end, despite all odds, Bengaluru FC took the lead in the final stages of the game when Chhetri stepped up from Lalremtluanga Fanai’s cross and rifled the ball past Bhaskar.