ISL | Bengaluru implodes to hand Odisha victory

Bengaluru FC squandered a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 to Odisha FC in the Indian Super League.

A 10-man Bengaluru FC blew a 2-0 lead to lose 2-3 to Odisha FC in the Indian Super League at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Wednesday.

Diego Mauricio planted two powerful penalties before Jerry Mawihmingthanga bundled in the ball from close range early in the second half to seal the tie.

While BFC remains third (28 points, 17 matches), the result comes at an inopportune time, extending Gerard Zaragoza’s winless run to four games and severely hampering his aim of securing a top-two finish and making the semifinals directly.

Full-back Naorem Roshan had a torrid time, guilty of the backpass that led to Odisha’s opener and then handling the ball inside the area to pave the way for the second.

But for nearly half an hour, a victory for Sergio Lobera’s men seemed improbable. In the 10th minute, Edgar Mendez controlled an aerial ball superbly before slotting it home. Soon after, the evergreen Sunil Chhetri hoodwinked four defenders and bulged the net with aplomb.

However, minutes before the half-hour mark, Roshan’s reverse ball was pursued by Mauricio, and defender Aleksandar Jovanovic pulled the Brazilian down to thwart the chance. Referee Pratik Mondal blew the whistle for a penalty and sent the Australian off. The visitor’s equaliser followed soon, as the attack-minded Odisha piled on the pressure.

After the break, Chhetri & Co. came out a minute or two before their opponents in what appeared like a statement of intent. But it was Odisha that dealt the decisive blow before closing down the contest in expert fashion to climb up to sixth (24 points, 17 matches).