ISL 2022-23: Mumbai City's historic 18-game unbeaten run ended on Matchday 19 on Wednesday. Bengaluru FC did the unthinkable, as it edged past 2-1 at home, while City has been assured of the League Shield.
Former champion Bengaluru FC (BFC) marked the 100th Indian Super League (ISL) fixture of the season by accomplishing the simply unbelievable, conquering fellow former champion Mumbai City FC (MCFC) 2-1 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, ending the latter's 18-match undefeated run. In concluding that historic streak, the best in ISL history, the Blues also made a big move towards assuring a playoff berth with their seventh straight conquest, with Sunil Chhetri leading from the front.
As Roy Krishna served his suspension, Chhetri made his maiden start of the new year for BFC. The 38-year-old made inquiries about the Islanders' backline. A little over five minutes after risking to dink one over the keeper, Chhetri tested his luck from the edge of the box after Vignesh D's clearance fell into his path. Moments after, Chhetri had another shot at goal after getting the better of Ahmed Jahouh. Lachenpa quickly went down and put his body behind the low stroke.
But, in the opening half, where neither team looked too adventurous, MCFC was offered the best chance to take the lead. BFC's defenders were caught in a net in the middle of the pitch when a long ball set Bipin Singh on a free run down the left side at goal. However, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu oversized at the near post and blocked the winger's endeavour straight at him.
Chhetri's perseverance paid off minutes before the hour mark as the League Shield Winner looked like a shadow of itself in the subsequent half. Hernandez lashed a corner towards the far post, where the Islanders had kept Chhetri unmarked - the veteran ran in to head his team into the lead.
A glance of how much the Blues had intimidated the Islanders was observable when defender Aleksandar Jovanoreplacing the suspended Parag Shrivas, sprinted past a flat-footed defence into the box to script the second goal. He thwarted the ball into Hernandez's path, who drove it in instantly to put his team 2-0 ahead in the 70th.
It did shake the league leader up, as it clawed back in the 77th when a Rowllin Borges corner was headed back across goal for Mourtada Fall to tap in. But, the drive came too small too late from the Islanders, whose autocratic run stopped at the hands of the league's most in-form side.
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BFC is now fourth, four points adrift of the sixth spot. Its final league contest of the season will be versus FC Goa (FCG) on February 23. MCFC will conclude its league season versus East Bengal (EBFC) on Sunday.