ISL | Majcen’s injury-time strike helps Punjab edge Bengaluru

Bengaluru FC's struggles continue with a 2-3 loss to Punjab FC, leaving them in fifth place in the table.

Bengaluru FC’s freefall in the Indian Super League continued as it lost 2-3 to Punjab FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday.

The Gerard Zaragoza-led outfit is now six games without a win – a period during which it has collected a solitary point from the available 18. It is now fifth in the table with 28 points, and after being in pole position to bag a top-two slot not so long ago, even a top-six finish, which guarantees a playoff spot, looks tough.

For Punjab, the win broke a seven-game winless streak and leaves the side ninth (23 points).

The home team’s win came courtesy Luka Majcen’s goal deep into injury-time when a flawless counter-attack ended with him burying Nihal Sudheesh’s low drive from the left flank.

After a goalless opening period, it was BFC’s Edgar Mendez who drew first blood when the ball ricocheted off his boot into the net off a faulty clearance. Asmir Suljic equalised from the spot in the 55th minute after Petros Giakoumakis was brought down clumsily by goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Punjab went ahead in the 79th minute when Filip Mrzljak pounced on a rebound after Majcen’s goalward header was blocked off by Sandhu. In the second minute of injury-time, BFC defender Rahul Bheke equalised with a header from close range but Majcen was hell bent on sending the visitor into a sombre mood.

The result: Punjab FC 3 (Suljic pen-55, Mrzljak 79, Majcen 90+6) bt Bengaluru FC 2 (Mendez 49, Bheke 90+2).