ISL Final : Bengaluru FC secured a place in the final of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) in a dramatic penalty shootout against Mumbai City FC. After a 2-2 aggregate score, Bengaluru FC held their nerves to win the tie-breaker 9-8 and reach the final.
Here’s how the match unfolded : Bengaluru FC qualifies for the ISL final in a thrilling penalty shootout
First half
- Mumbai City FC missed a penalty in the 10th minute when Bengaluru goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved Greg Stewart’s spot-kick.
- Javi Hernandez headed a cross from Siva Narayanan past Mumbai City goalkeeper Phurba Lachenpa to put Bengaluru FC ahead 2-0 on aggregate.
- Bipin Singh equalized for Mumbai City FC after Sandhu saved a shot from Rowlin Borges but failed to clear the ball. Second half
- Mehtab Singh scored a towering header from a corner kick to level the score in the 66th minute.
- The match went into extra time with neither team able to score. Extra time
- Both teams had chances in extra time, but failed to capitalize. Penalty shootout
- After 16 penalties were scored, Sandhu saved Mehtab Singh’s shot before Sandesh Jhingan scored the winning spot-kick to give Bengaluru FC a 9-8 win on penalties.
Bengaluru FC will now face either ATK Mohun Bagan or Hyderabad FC in the ISL final on Saturday, March 18. Bengaluru FC will look to win their second ISL title after winning their first in the 2018-19 season.
Key stats from the match : Bengaluru FC qualifies for the ISL final in a thrilling penalty shootout
- Siva Narayanan won 3 free kicks and created 3 chances in the match.
- Rowlin Borges finished the game with a passing accuracy of 90%.
- Javi Hernandez attempted the most shots (9) in the match.
Bengaluru FC played a determined game and showed their mettle in the crucial moments to win the tie-breaker. The team will now be hoping to carry this momentum forward into the final and bring the ISL trophy home.
Read more : Dane van Niekerk Announces Retirement from International Cricket: Reflecting on a Stellar Career