Bengaluru FC opened their ISL 2025-26 campaign with a composed 2-0 victory over Sporting Club Delhi in Match 5 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, February 15, 2026. Both goals came in injury time — N. Sivasakthi’s close-range tap-in on the brink of half-time and Sunil Chhetri’s left-footed counter-attack effort that struck the post and went in late in the second half. It was Renedy Singh’s first competitive match as Bengaluru FC head coach, and his side made it count with a three-point haul from their opening encounter.
The win made Bengaluru the third team to win their ISL 2025-26 opener, following Mohun Bagan Super Giant on Saturday and Jamshedpur FC earlier in the day. Nikhil Poojary was named Player of the Match. Sporting Club Delhi — formerly Hyderabad FC — made their first-ever ISL appearance under Polish head coach Tomasz Tchorz and acquitted themselves reasonably, but were undone by Bengaluru’s quality at key moments.
Table of Contents
Match Summary
Bengaluru FC started brightly, had 54 per cent possession across the game, and dominated the early exchanges with several clear chances before Delhi steadied and made it difficult. Vishal Yadav was sharp in the Delhi goal, denying Ashique Kuruniyan early and making two good saves from Braian Sánchez in the second half.
Delhi had their best moment just before the interval when Augustine Lalrocchana went through on goal off a brilliant through ball by Azhar, only for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to save low. Bengaluru finally broke through in injury time of the first half through Sivasakthi, then controlled the second half entirely before Chhetri, introduced as a substitute, sealed the win on the counter-attack in added time.
Match Scorecard
| Teams | Score | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru FC | 2 | Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru | February 15, 2026 |
| Sporting Club Delhi | 0 | — | ISL 2025-26, Match 5 |
Goal Summary
| Minute | Goal | Scorer | Assist/Build-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45+1′ | 1–0 | N. Sivasakthi (close-range tap-in, right foot) | Roshan Singh (floated ball) → Nikhil Poojary (cushioned header) |
| 90+4′ | 2–0 | Sunil Chhetri (left foot, 30 yards, struck post and in) | Counter-attack: Sirojiddin/Vinith Venkatesh → Chhetri unmarked |
Player of the Match: Nikhil Poojary Bengaluru FC coach: Renedy Singh (first competitive match in charge) Sporting Club Delhi coach: Tomasz Tchorz (ISL debut)
Starting Line-Ups
Bengaluru FC (4-4-2 / attacking shape)
| Position | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Gurpreet Singh Sandhu | Saved Lalrocchana through-ball late in first half |
| RB | Nikhil Poojary | Player of the Match; key assist for first goal |
| CB | Rahul Bheke (c) | Captain |
| CB | Chinglensana Singh | — |
| LB | Roshan Singh | Floated ball for Poojary assist; first goal build-up |
| CM | Suresh Singh Wangjam | Shot saved (centre of goal) in second half; replaced by Chhetri |
| CM | Lalremtluanga Fanai | Yellow card |
| AM/MF | Sirojiddin Kuziev | Part of counter-attack leading to Chhetri’s goal |
| FW | Ashique Kuruniyan | Header saved top-left by Vishal Yadav early; replaced by Suroj/Rishi |
| FW | Ryan Williams | First game as an Indian national; low shot wide (3′) |
| FW | Braian Sánchez | Two saves from Vishal Yadav (second half); shot wide (left foot) |
| (Bench) | N. Sivasakthi | Started in attacking role — scored on 45+1′ |
| (Sub) | Sunil Chhetri | Came on for Suresh (78′); scored 90+4′ |
Note: Source lineups list Sivasakthi as a starter in attack alongside Williams/Sánchez/Ashique
Sporting Club Delhi Starting XI
| Position | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Vishal Yadav | Two saves from Sánchez; denied Ashique early |
| DEF | Rafael Ribeiro | Yellow card (clumsy foul on Sánchez, 47′) |
| DEF | Matija Babovic | Lost ball to Ryan Williams in Delhi’s half (3′) |
| MF | Mohammed Azhar | Through ball to Lalrocchana (Gurpreet save) |
| FW | Mohammed Aimen | New signing; showed skill but limited output |
| FW | Augustine Lalrocchana | Best chance — went through on goal off Azhar; Gurpreet saved |
| (Sub) | Ramhlunchhunga | Free-kick routine; floated to far post |
| (Sub) | Alan Saji | Header off Ramhlunchhunga free kick went wide |
First Half: Bengaluru Dominate, Delhi Hold Firm
Early Bengaluru Pressure
Bengaluru FC came out at full throttle from the first minute at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Ryan Williams won the ball off Babovic deep in Delhi’s half within three minutes and drove hard at goal, unleashing a low shot from outside the box that went just wide of the left post. In the next minute, Nikhil Poojary swung in a lovely cross from the right that Ashique Kuruniyan met at the far post — only for Vishal Yadav to react quickly and flick it to safety.
Minutes later, Suresh Singh Wangjam tested Yadav again with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box, assisted by Sánchez following a corner, but it missed the top right corner. Ryan Williams also received attention from the medics after going down under a Delhi challenge, but continued.
Bengaluru had the majority of possession in the opening exchanges but Delhi gradually grew into the game, defending their box with greater discipline and limiting the hosts’ clear sights at goal through the middle period of the first half. Vishal Yadav was rarely tested during this spell as Delhi’s organisation made it difficult for Bengaluru to thread through. Sivasakthi was caught offside on one occasion and Braian Sánchez fired wide after receiving the ball in space. Delhi registered their own first corner, conceded by Nikhil Poojary.
Delhi’s Best Chance — and Gurpreet’s Response
The best chance of the first half fell to the visitors. In the closing stages of the first half, Mohammed Azhar played a brilliant through ball for Augustine Lalrocchana, who made a composed run and went through on goal one-on-one with Gurpreet. He tried his luck with a low shot, but Gurpreet produced a sharp save and pushed the ball away for a corner, preserving the goalless scoreline.
Sivasakthi Breaks the Deadlock — 45+1′
The deadlock was broken in first-half injury time, and the goal came from a sequence of composed build-up play. Roshan Singh, from the middle of the pitch, floated the ball towards Nikhil Poojary, who had made a well-timed run into the box.
Poojary laid the ball off with a cushioned header in front of goal, and Sivasakthi had a straightforward tap-in past Vishal Yadav from close range. It was Bengaluru FC’s first goal of their ISL 2025-26 season, and it came at precisely the right moment — right at the brink of half-time — to give Renedy Singh’s side a platform to build on.
Second Half: Bengaluru Control, Chhetri Seals It
Sánchez Tests Yadav Early
Bengaluru piled on the pressure immediately after the interval. Braian Sánchez produced a lovely turn to create space for a shot from the edge of the box — Vishal Yadav saved well to his right, pushing the ball away. The Argentinian remained a constant threat, but his left-footed attempt while off balance subsequently went wide. Suresh Singh Wangjam then tried his luck with a shot from outside the box which Yadav held in the centre of goal.
Delhi Push Through Set Pieces — Gurpreet Untroubled
With the game at 1-0, Delhi’s most promising avenue remained set pieces. They worked a clever free-kick routine, with Ramhlunchhunga receiving the ball on the right wing after a double dummy and floating a cross to the far post. Substitute Alan Saji got his head to it, but his attempt was off target. Aside from that attempt, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had very little to do in goal throughout the second half, as Bengaluru’s defenders cleared danger before it turned into real opportunities.
Aimen Limped off and was replaced by Ramhlunchhunga (75′). Suroj and Rishi also came on for Ashique and Sánchez (71′) as the game moved towards its conclusion.
Chhetri’s Counter — Post, In — 90+4′
Sunil Chhetri entered the pitch for Suresh Singh Wangjam in the 78th minute to a roar from the Sree Kanteerava crowd. The iconic striker got offside immediately on arrival, but made his presence felt emphatically in added time. When Delhi committed bodies forward from a corner in search of an equaliser, Bengaluru broke quickly.
The ball was played forward through midfield to Chhetri, who was found completely unmarked. Vishal Yadav charged off his line to try and clear, but Chhetri produced a clever flick to take the ball away from the goalkeeper. With the goal completely open, he struck a left-footer from approximately 30 yards out. The ball struck the left post and went into the net, sending the Sree Kanteerava crowd wild and sealing all three points for Bengaluru FC.
Key Performances
Nikhil Poojary — Player of the Match
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Right back |
| First goal | Cushioned header lay-off to Sivasakthi after Roshan’s float |
| Early crossing | Floated cross (4′) that Ashique met — Yadav saved |
| Award | Player of the Match |
N. Sivasakthi
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Goal | 45+1′ — close-range right-footed tap-in |
| Build-up | Roshan → Poojary (header lay-off) → Sivasakthi |
| Significance | BFC’s first goal of ISL 2025-26 season |
Sunil Chhetri
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Came on | 78′ (for Suresh Singh Wangjam) |
| Goal | 90+4′ — left-footed shot from 30 yards, struck left post, into net |
| Context | Counter-attack after Delhi corner; Yadav off line; clever flick, then shot |
Braian Sánchez
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shots | Twice denied by Vishal Yadav (second half); one wide left-footer |
| Role | Most active attacker in second half before substitution |
ISL 2025-26 Context
Background: Sporting Club Delhi’s ISL Debut
Sporting Club Delhi — previously branded as Hyderabad FC and FC Pune City — made their official debut in the Indian Super League under Polish head coach Tomasz Tchorz, who previously worked at Kerala Blasters as assistant to Kibu Vicuna. It was Bengaluru FC and Sporting Club Delhi’s first-ever meeting in any competition.
Bengaluru FC Under Renedy Singh
Renedy Singh took charge as Bengaluru FC head coach ahead of ISL 2025-26, with Sunil Chhetri — India’s greatest goalscorer — remaining a key attacking focal point from the bench. In the ISL 2024-25 season, Bengaluru FC finished fourth in the points table with 38 points.
ISL 2025-26 Opening Round Results
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Kerala Blasters FC | 2-0 (Mohun Bagan) |
| Jamshedpur FC vs Mohammedan SC | 1-0 (Jamshedpur) |
| Bengaluru FC vs Sporting Club Delhi | 2-0 (Bengaluru) |
Bengaluru FC became the third team to win their ISL 2025-26 opening match, joining Mohun Bagan Super Giant (who beat Kerala Blasters 2-0 in the season opener on February 14) and Jamshedpur FC (who beat Mohammedan SC 1-0 earlier on February 15).
Read More: ISL 2025-26: Madih Talal’s Strike Hands Jamshedpur FC a Winning Start vs Mohammedan
FAQs
What was the final score of Bengaluru FC vs Sporting Club Delhi in ISL 2025-26?
Bengaluru FC won 2-0 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on February 15, 2026 — Match 5 of ISL 2025-26.
Who scored for Bengaluru FC against Sporting Club Delhi?
N. Sivasakthi scored in first-half injury time (45+1′) with a close-range tap-in, and Sunil Chhetri added the second in 90+4′ with a counter-attack left-footer that struck the post before going in.
Who was named Player of the Match in BFC vs SC Delhi?
Nikhil Poojary was named Player of the Match for his right-back display, including the assist for Sivasakthi’s goal with a cushioned header lay-off.
Was this Sporting Club Delhi’s first ISL match?
Yes. Sporting Club Delhi — rebranded from Hyderabad FC — played their first-ever ISL match against Bengaluru FC on February 15, 2026, under head coach Tomasz Tchorz.
Who is Bengaluru FC’s head coach in ISL 2025-26?
Renedy Singh is Bengaluru FC’s head coach for ISL 2025-26. The match against Sporting Club Delhi was his first competitive game in charge of the club.
