ISL: Sunil Chhetri brings Hyderabad-Bengaluru battle to draw 1-1

Hyderabad: Indian star footballer Sunil Chhetri broke his sweat to bring a draw 1-1 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-25 match between his Bengaluru FC and Hyderabad FC at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium here on Saturday. When Devendra Murgaonkar scored for Hyderabad in the first half, 40-year-old Chhetri neutralised the score in the second.

The goal made Chhetri touch the 10-goal mark for the second time in his ISL career after the 14-goals in the 2017-18 season, IANS reported.

Bengaluru FC held 62.4% of the possession but had a solitary shot on target, which Chhetri converted to get them a point out of this match.

The opening phase of the game was slightly cagey as both teams struggled to create clear chances. Bengaluru FC attempted to break past the Hyderabad FC defensive line but were not exactly cohesive in their moves. Chhetri was flagged offside twice in the opening 20 minutes.

The home side retaliated soon afterwards, as they embarked on a positive phase of play, with Allan Paulista winning a free-kick in the attacking half. Ramhlunchhunga served a pinpoint cross for Devendra Murgaonkar, who was positioned at the centre of the 18-yard box and headed the ball into the bottom right corner to get the lead in the 21st minute.

Murgaonkar operated sharply in the offensive, making the right moves in the Bengaluru FC box to cause trouble to the visitors. Twelve minutes after his goal, Joseph Sunny picked the attacker in a spot on the right side of the penalty area. Murgaonkar did well in exerting power behind his shot from that angle, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved the ball in the top right corner.

The Bengaluru FC camp made as many as four substitutions after the half-time break in a bid to produce a comeback. Ryan Williams, Chinglensana Singh, Edgar Mendez, and Lalremtluanga Fanai came in the places of Aleksandar Jovanovic, Harsh Patre, Pedro Capo, and Shivaldo Singh, respectively.

Mendez settled seamlessly into the game, latching onto a cross by Naorem Mahesh Singh in the 51st minute. Despite the close distance between him and the goal, the forward’s header ended a bit too high for the target.

Just before the hour mark, Ramhlunchhunga demonstrated his exceptional shooting skills with a long-range effort from over 40 yards out upon receiving a pass from Andrei Alba. Impressively, the ball was headed straight on target, and Sandhu was required to save it in the bottom left corner.

Bengaluru FC grabbed hold of the equaliser with a template that has yielded them high returns this season. Williams’ second-half introduction delivered just what the Blues needed, as he chipped in a precisely paced cross for Chhetri in the 78th minute in the middle of the box.