Mohun Bagan beat Bengaluru FC by three goals to one in a Group E fixture of the AFC Cup, at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, in Kolkata, on Wednesday.
With only one team progressing to the knock-out stages, the Blues will need nothing but a win against Maziya S&RC when the two sides meet on May 31st after the Maldivian side beat Abahani Dhaka 2-0 in the group’s other fixture on the day.
Group E has new leaders after Maziya’s win over Abahani took them to 12 points, while the Blues dropped to second with nine points. While a win at the Kanteerava on the 31st will leave both teams tied on points, Bengaluru FC’s superior head to head record against Maziya, will mean passage for Albert Roca’s men to the next round. Earlier in April, the Blues travelled to Maldives and came away with a 1-0 win.
With an eye on Sunday’s Federation Cup final against Bagan, Bengaluru made the trip to Kolkata without Amrinder Singh, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Juanan Gonzalez, Lenny Rodrigues, Cameron Watson and Udanta Singh. Defenders John Johnson and Harmanjot Khabra meanwhile, missed the fixture owing to suspensions. It was an all-Indian starting eleven fielded by Albert Roca.
Mohun Bagan, already out of the competition, also fielded a second-string team as Raynier Fernandes, Prabir Das, Kean Lewis and Sanjay Balmuchu all enjoyed starts for Sanjoy Sen’s team.
The 2016 AFC Cup finalists fell behind in the 10th minute when Raynier’s chip over the defence met Jeje Lalpekhlua’s run before the striker calmly slotted past Lalthuammawia Ralte.
Len Doungel then had a fantastic chance in the 24th minute when he picked CK Vineeth’s headed pass, shook off two Bagan defenders only to see his shot on target kept out by Shilton Paul.
But the Blues striker made amends seven minutes into the second half. Collecting the ball from 25 yards out, Doungel sent in a rasping drive that Paul couldn’t do anything about, to make it 1-1, the Bagan keeper unable to palm it away as it climbed over him nestling into the top left corner of the net.
Vineeth then had the chance to hand the Blues a lead in the 55th minute when he found himself through on goal, but his shot to beat Paul was weak and straight at the keeper.
Bengaluru went behind for a second time in the game when Kean Lewis’ shot at Ralte took a heavy deflection, off Gursimrat Singh’s heel, before bouncing and looping over a stranded keeper on its way in. The hosts then struck from outside the box of their own when Bikramjit Singh Sr. connected cleanly to make it 3-1 and finish the match off.
The two teams will meet again on the 21st in the Federation Cup final at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
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