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Bengaluru FC overturned a two-goal deficit to salvage a late point during their 2-2 draw with arch-rivals Kerala Blasters in the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday night.
The hosts were seemingly heading for their first ever defeat in four meetings with Kerala Blasters in the history of the competition, but their opponents failed to buck a recurring trend of conceding late goals in the ISL this term.
However, it was Nelo Vingada's men who started the game on the front foot, when they took the lead as early as the 16th minute, courtesy of a penalty that was comfortably tucked away by Slavisa Stojanovic. The table-toppers were sluggish to get off the blocks under the lights at the Kanteerava and were punished yet again through Courage Pekuson, who curled a sublime shot into the top corner from 30-yards out to leave Gurpreet Singh Sandhu rooted to his spot in goal.
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The Men in Yellow continued to dominate proceedings until half-time and forced Carles Cuadrat to ring the changes during the interval. And in the wake of the change in personnel, Bengaluru FC grew in confidence as they came out firing on all cylinders to salvage their pride in the hugely significant derby.
The Kerala Blasters opted for an all hands on deck approach as they conceded possession and ultimately ended up paying the price for inviting the pressure from the hosts.
Udanta Singh showed excellent determination to get on the end of a knock-down from Sunil Chhetri to give Bengaluru FC a shot in the arm by initiating the comeback in the 69th minute, and although the visitors threatened on the break through Stojanovic, who was denied by the cross-bar after a quick counter-attack involving him and Sahal Abdul Samad, it proved to be a sign of things to come.
The usual suspects Chhetri and Udanta combined again with just five minutes left to play as they completed a remarkable turnaround to salvage a point and preserve their unbeaten status in the fixture. Kerala Blasters will be gutted after letting a two-goal lead, and the opportunity to put an end to their 14-game winless run, slip out of their hands, while Bengaluru FC will be aiming to build on their second-half performance to seal a playoff spot.
Without further delay, let's take a closer look at the major talking points from the riveting derby between the sides at the Kanteerava Stadium:
#1 Action-packed derby lives up to the billing
Prior to a ball being kicked in the first southern derby since the turn of the year, both teams were miles apart from each other in terms of their fortunes in the ISL so far this term. Bengaluru FC were close to becoming the first team to book their berth in the semi-finals of the competition, while a wretched start to the campaign meant the Blasters had nothing but pride to play for in the end.
However, both teams showed grit and determination as they played out a volatile derby that turned out to be an engaging spectacle over the course of the 90 minutes. The game had everything ranging from late goals to flying tackles to tempers flaring and what not, as the two rivals fought tooth and nail to attain bragging rights in the region.
Both sets of fans turned up in numbers and were treated to contrasting fortunes either side of half time, courtesy of an action-packed and completely engaging plot that unfolded as a typical 'game of two halves'.
The referee had to dish out six yellow cards during the game and the stat proved to be a perfect testament to what panned out as a feisty encounter between the southern giants.
#2 Carles Cuadrat redeems himself after Kean Lewis mishap
Carles Cuadrat sprung a huge surprise when he named the playing eleven for the meeting with Kerala Blasters on Wednesday. The 19-year-old Mizo forward Edmund Lalrindika was handed his first ever start in the ISL and Kean Lewis started the game at the right side of a back-four instead of the dependable Rahul Bheke, who was understandably left out after returning from performing the last rites for his father.
However, the Spaniard's experiment back-fired massively as Lewis struggled to settle down in an unnatural position from the get-go. The 26-year-old never looked comfortable while dealing with the threat from the visitors and ended up conceding the penalty that would eventually put the hosts behind in the 16th minute. Cuadrat responded by restoring Harmanjot Khabra to the right-back position, before replacing Lewis with Bheke at the interval.
And the change in personnel worked wonders for Bengaluru FC, who benefited tremendously from the balance provided by Bheke, as they pushed to successfully grind out a point in the dying embers of the game.
#3 Sunil Chhetri breaks frustrating duck in front of goal
Sunil Chhetri put an end to a frustrating seven-game goal drought with his late equalizer against the Kerala Blasters. The 34-year-old marksman, who is also the leading Indian goal-scorer in the ISL, had been on his longest run of games without a goal in the competition, since scoring the winner over FC Goa in late November.
For the entirety of the first half, Chhetri cut a frustrated figure on the flanks as the hosts played catch-up to a rejuvenated Kerala Blasters side that more than looked the part against the table-toppers.
However, the Indian skipper benefited from the changes enforced by Carles Cuadrat during the interval and conjured a sublime shift to play a part in both goals that helped Bengaluru FC salvage a point in the end.
Chhetri turned provider for Udanta Singh's goal that initiated the comeback when he leaped highest to provide a knock-down into his team-mate's path, following a pinpoint lobbed pass from Erik Paartalu.
The Bengaluru FC talisman would have his opportunity to break the duck in the 85th minute and he overpowered Mohamad Rakip to send an unstoppable header beyond Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem, sending the home fans into delirium at the Kanteerava Stadium.
#4 'Flash' of brilliance blinds Kerala Blasters
In the scorching battle for bragging rights at the Kanteerava Stadium, it was 'The Flash' that ultimately blinded the Kerala Blasters after their impressive start in the first half. Udanta Singh was rightfully awarded 'Hero of the Match' for his vital contribution that helped the hosts salvage some pride in the southern derby.
The 22-year-old Manipuri winger was at the peak of his powers in the second half and wore his heart on his sleeve for the table-toppers throughout the game. Udanta was head and shoulders above his counterparts on the pitch and provided the shot in the arm that Bengaluru FC desperately needed to come away with a result in the end.
He combined efficiently with Sunil Chhetri to score with his head in the 69th minute and later turned provider for the skipper with an accurate cross hoisted towards the far post for the late leveler.
The world can be a tough place for heroes, but the fairy-tale connection between Udanta and Bengaluru FC might beg to differ!
#5 Where do WE (they) go now?
The Manjappada certainly made their voices heard during arguably their only important fixture of the remainder of the ISL campaign at the Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday. Unlike in their recent home games, the Blasters were welcomed to the game with several tifos that suggested maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The visitors did well to feed off the atmosphere and dealt significant blows to the table-toppers in the first half. Despite conceding a late goal yet again and failing to put an end to their 14-game winless run, the mood surrounding the Blasters' camp could be positive.
Although the supporters' return to the stands makes for encouraging signs, it amounts to very little if they cannot keep up the same levels at their own backyard in Kochi. The Men In Yellow have not won an ISL game at home for more than a year and they will have to buck the trend of being consistently inconsistent if they wish to turn the tide.
