Defending champions Bengaluru FC produced a clinical performance to humble two-time champions Chennaiyin FC and register their first win of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2019-20 season at Sree Kanteerava Stadium. Erik Paartalu opened the floodgates in the 14th minute, then skipper Sunil Chhetri scored his 31st goal in the 25th minute. Substitute Semboi Haokip made it 3-0 in the 84th minute to complete the rout. The win helped Bengaluru climb to the fifth spot in the league standings with six points from four matches. They are unbeaten though, having played out three draws before tonight. For Chennaiyin, it's another disappointing outing. They remained at the bottom, with no wins in four matches. What's more worrying for them is, they are yet to score. With that ISL takes the international break. Meanwhile, the Indian national team, with Chhetri leading, take on Afghanistan and Oman in their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. ISL action resumes on November 23 with a Bengaluru vs Kerala Blasters fixture. That's all for tonight. Catch highlights here:
Second-Half: Bengaluru FC 3-0 Chennaiyin FC
90+4' - Thoi Khangebam gets a header and that's all. Bengaluru win.
90+3' - Erik Paartalu, the Aussie, is the man of the match tonight. Rino Anto was the one coming on for Chhetri.
90+2' - Vishal Kaith gets a yellow card. Blunder and free-kick for collecting the ball outside the box. Sunil Chhetri hits the wall. That's all for the skipper.
90' - No look pass from Dimas Delgado for Semboi Haokip, and a go at the goal. Vishal Kaith blocks it. Three minutes added on.
89' - Change for Bengaluru. Raphael Augusto makes way for Eugeneson Lyngdoh.
88' - Thoi Khangebam on a fluke chance. His cross almost beats Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
87' - Another free-kick for Bengaluru. Dimas Delgado delivers the set-piece then a soft clearance. Delgado chases down the ball and sends in one for Sunil Chhetri, and India misses from point-blank range. That's goal any given day.
84' - GOAL! Semboi Haokip, the sub, makes it three for Bengaluru. He outmuscles Eli Sabia then beats onrushing Vishal Kaith with a fine touch. Brilliant goal.
83' - Chennaiyin win another corner. Dragos Firtulescu's delivery and Lucian Goian fails to beat the defence then Dhanapal Ganesh hits the post from rebound.
80' - Throw-in for Bengaluru inside the Chennaiyin half. The visitors do well to win the ball back and a corner. Poor effort from the corner. And Vishal Kaith leaves his line and clears a long ball. Thoi Khangebam on for Chennaiyin, Rafael Crivellaro off.
76' - Another wave of attacks from Bengaluru. In the latest move, the linesman raises his flag for an off-side against Dimas Delgado.
75' - Edwin Vanspaul brings down Sunil Chhetri inside the box, but the referee thinks it's a simulation. And yellow card for Chhetri. Tight one, again.
74' - Udanta Kumam with a cross, but clearance from a Chennaiyin defender. Harmanjot Khabra fouls Lallianzuala Chhangte but advantage on.
72' - Lucian Goian wins the ball then launches an attack. A shout for a penalty for a foul on Goian by Raphael Augusto. Not given.
71' - Poor effort from Rafael Crivellaro. Fails to hit the target. And a sub for Bengaluru. Nishu Kumar out, Semboi Haokip in.
69' - Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Kumam in a brilliant run inside the box, Dimas Delgado coming in as reinforcement fails in execution.
68' - Lallianzuala Chhangte on the ball and some mazy run then sets up a cross. But his team-mates fail to make the most out of it.
65' - Yellow card for Bengaluru coach. He was not happy with the previous off-side call.
64' - Chennaiyin on the break, and good chance but the final ball fails to impress. And on the turn, Bengaluru on with a chance. But Udanta Kumam is offside. Very tight.
63' - Tired legs. The pace of the game slows down. Tondonba Ngasepam brings down Udanta Kumam. No card though. Free-kick for Bengaluru.
61' - Dhanapal Ganesh booked for an earlier challenge. Another change for Chennaiyin. Dragos Firtulescu on for Andrei Schembri.
59' - What a ball from Sunil Chhetri for Ashique Kuruniyan from an advantage play. But Eli Sabia predicts Kuruniyan turn and clears the danger away.
58' - Bengaluru enjoying a good spell of possession. Eli Sabia beats Ashique Kuruniyan on the chase. Goal kick for Chennaiyin.
55' - Rafael Crivellaro commits another foul on Udanta Kumam. Free kick to Bengaluru. Vishal Kaith leaves his line and clears the ball, ahead of Nishu Kumar.
54' - Sub for Chennaiyin. Lallianzuala Chhangte on for Rahim Ali, and he almost set up the first goal for his side. Rafael Crivellaro, in the think of action, handles the ball. But the referee fails to spot it. And offside.
52' - Sunil Chhetri wins a free-kick, and sixth corner for Bengaluru from the following play.
51' - Edwin Vanspaul produces a brilliant long ranger and corner. A slight flick from Erik Paartalu. Mighty close from a header from Dhanapal Ganesh.
49' - Udanta Kumam on the left flank, once again, with a brilliant run. But Bengaluru opt to pull back, then switch flanks.
47' - Udanta Kumam let got a ball and apologises. Goal kick for Chennaiyin. And here are some facts, Sunil Chhetri, the leading Indian scorer in the league now has 31 goals.
46' - Second-half resumes. And a corner for Bengaluru FC. Sunil Chhetri whips in and clearance from Chennaiyin defenders.
8:29 PM IST: Bundesliga legend Patrick Owomoyela, who's in India for the screening of ‘Der Klassiker’ between FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund yesterday is in attendance with IM Vijayan. Owomoyela, on the sidelines, said, "enjoy football".
8:24 PM IST: Bengaluru FC produced a stunning display of attacking football in the first 30 minutes to unsettle Chennaiyin. A brilliant Erik Paartalu header and a stunning Sunil Chhetri belter gave the hosts a deserved 2-0 lead. But Chennaiyin are not over.
First-Half: Bengaluru FC 2-0 Chennaiyin FC
45+2' - Nerijus Valskis uses his long hand to bring down Harmanjot Khabra. Yellow card for Chennaiyin forward. Hard one. And the whistle for the break.
45+1' - Two minutes added on. And Bengaluru on the attack once again. Rahim Ali lunges on Udanta Kumam in front of the linesman, and no call. Sunil Chhetri, near the action, is bemused.
44' - Chennaiyin are finally settling down. Getting the better of exchanges but they will need goals.
43' - Nishu Kumar clears a dangerous move from Chennaiyin. Then, a header from Andrei Schembri fails to hit the target. Lacks bite.
42' - It petered out in the last couple of minutes. Chennaiyin on the ball. Anirudh Thapa is brought down by Raphael Augusto.
40' - Rafael Crivellaro beats two Bengaluru players but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is quick. Collects it. In the build-up to that Chennaiyin move, Raphael Augusto gets injured. Bengaluru defender was trying to block Crivellaro. And paid the price. Tough game.
38' - This is very fast. Bengaluru on with another attack, and a quick free-kick and they miss the plot in the hastiness. Chennaiyin then get themselves on with a move. They are still looking for the first goal.
36' - Back pass to Vishal Kaith and a long ball. But Bengaluru manage to win the ball back and two Manipuris, Udanta Kumam and Tondonba Ngasepam fight for the ball until Vishal Kaith rushes in to clear the ball with a sliding kick.
35' - Ashique Kuruniyan with another run, but his final delivery fails to find Sunil Chhetri ahead of him.
34' - Bengaluru need to kill this game before the half. Complacency can creep in any time with two early goals.
33' - Rafael Crivellaro makes an important interception, to win the ball from Ashique Kuruniyan. Chennaiyin reassessing their plan. Keeping the ball to themselves now. Then, from a good play, Nerijus Valskis is caught offside, probably form his head bandage. Very tight.
30' - Bengaluru FC taking it to another level. Chance after chance. Udanta Kumam and Ashique Kuruniyan, on flanks, wreaking havoc.
27' - Bengaluru miss another chance from close range. Chennaiyin players are having a nightmare in Bengaluru. 11 attempts from the hosts as against visitors' one.
25' - GOAL! Udanta Kumam draws a foul and free kick for Bengaluru. Cheanniyin win the ball back but Bengaluru launch a quick counter with Sunil Chhetri on the run from a Raphael Augusto release. And the captain produces a belter from just inside the box and bang. No chance for Vishal Kaith, at the near post.
23' - A long throw from Tondonba Ngasepam. A good defending from Harmanjot Khabra, clearing the danger with a header.
22' - 62 percent possession for Bengaluru. It tells the story of their domination. Nerijus Valskis needs medical attention after a head clash with Erik Paartalu.
20' - Erik Paartalu sends in a very good ball for Ashique Kuruniyan. But Vishal Kaith gets to the ball first.
19' - Free-kick for Bengaluru. Dimas Delgado finds Udanta Kumam at the right flank, then to Rahul Bheke. The Indian youngster fails to use the space available to him. Half-chance.
17' - Nerijus Valskis brings down Ashique Kuruniyan on the left flank. Edwin Vanspaul makes another interception.
16' - Juanan trips Nerijus Valskis and a free-kick for Chennaiyin FC. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu collects and a long ball for Ashique Kuruniyan. Good defending from Edwin Vanspaul.
14' - GOAL! This time Dimas Delgado sends in and Erik Paartalu jumps tall and heads home the opener.
13' - Corner for Bengaluru. Short corner from Dimas Delgado. Then another corner.
11' - It's all Bengaluru now. Sunil Chhetri attempts a low header and it hits the far post. Moments ago, Bengaluru claimed for a handball inside the box.
10' - Bengaluru once again with a brilliant move. Udanta Kumam sends in a teasing cross and none of the three teammates inside the box fails to make the contact.
8' - Rafael Crivellaro manhandles Udanta Kumam and free-kick for Bengaluru. They win a corner, then another. Rahul Bheke commits a foul, and goal-kick to Chennaiyin.
5' - Another Rahul Bheke throw, and what a chance for Bengaluru. Raphael Augusto gets the ball and turns and despite's Lucian Goian's attempt to block it, Juanan gets a clear chance. Vishal Kaith up to the challenge.
4' - A foul throw from Rahul Bheke, his feet well over the line, but officials failed to notice, and Erik Paartalu has a free header. Comfortable take for Vishal Kaith though.
3' - Bengaluru FC make early inroads. Another throw-in for the hosts after Lucian Goian cleared a dangerous move.
1' - L Ajit Meitei blows the whistle, signalling the start of the match.
7:26 PM IST: Players and match officials are out in the centre. National Anthem next.
7:15 PM IST: Both sides made two changes each. Bengaluru FC brought in Erik Paartalu and Ashique Kuruniyan for Albert Serran and Manuel Onwu, while Andrei Schembri and Rahim Ali came in for Dragos Firtulescu and Lallianzuala Chhangte in the Chennaiyin XI.
7:07 PM IST: Subs
BFC Aditya Patra (32), Eugeneson Lyngdoh (7), Gursimrat Singh Gill (33), Rino Anto (13), Semboi Haokip (18), Manuel Onwu (9), Edmund Lalrindika (37).
Chennaiyin: Karanjit Singh (1), Jerry Lalrinzuala (18), Masih Saighani (5), Lallianzuala Chhangte (7), Thoi Khangebam (11), Germanpreet Singh (28), Dragos Firtulescu (10).
6:55 PM IST: Starting XIs are here
BFC XI: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (1); Harmanjot Khabra (10), Juanan (5), Rahul Bheke (2), Nishu Kumar (22); Erik Paartalu (6), Dimas Delgado (14); Udanta Kumam (21), Raphael Augusto (12), Ashique Kuruniyan (19); Sunil Chhetri (11).
Chennaiyin XI: Vishal Kaith (31); Edwin Vanspaul (8), Eli Sabia (13), Lucian Goian (6), Tondonba Ngasepam (3); Dhanapal Ganesh (17), Anirudh Thapa (15); Andrei Schembri (27), Rafael Crivellaro (50), Rahim Ali (24); Nerijus Valskis (9).
6:10 PM IST: Player Of The Month
ATK's David Williams has won the award for October. The 31-year-old Australian saw off competition from several star names in the Indian top tier competition including Bartholomew Ogbeche of Kerala Blasters, two time Golden Boot winner Ferran Corominas of FC Goa, Sergio Castel of Jamshedpur and Amrinder Singh of Mumbai City FC.
6:27 PM IST: Both the teams have arrived at the venue
6:05 PM IST: Head-to-head
Chennaiyin lead 3-2 in five meetings, but both the sides have scored eight times each. In the first meeting, at Bengaluru in 2017, Chennaiyin won 2-1. Bengaluru hit back in the return leg of their inaugural ISL campaign with a 3-1 win. Chennaiyin won the next meeting, 3-2 in the final at Bengaluru. Next season, Bengaluru won 1-0 at home and Chennaiyin won 2-1 at home.
5:52 PM IST: What they said?
Speaking about his side's recent draw against Jamshedpur FC, BFC head coach Carles Cuadrat said that things like happen in football during the pre-match press conference. "Things like this happen in football. Sometimes it's a question of things happening, but no real reason for it. It's just numbers. It's the same for Chennai. They haven't scored for many games now, but they are going to change that for sure. We have created a lot of chances with different players and that is important," he said.
Meanwhile, Chennaiyin FC gaffer John Gregory stated that his side would be aiming for a win. "The rivalry between the two teams has been very strong since Bengaluru came into the league in 2016. Our fans and their fans enjoy this game because there is a lot at stake. We would like our first victory of the season and there is no better place than get it here (Bengaluru). It's a little bit more than just a football match," he said.
Premise
This is a clash of 'winless' champions. The champions of the last two ISL editions have not been at their best this time around. While defending champions, Bengaluru FC have played out three draws and are eighth on the table, 2017-18 champions, Chennaiyin FC are rock bottom with just one draw to show for from three matches.
And both sides will seek their first win when they renew the rivalry tonight. A win on Sunday will be vital for both teams and help them go into the international break on a positive note. A lack of goals has been at the forefront of the poor start both teams have made. While Bengaluru have at least one goal to show in three games, Chennaiyin FC are the only team not to have registered a goal so far.
It has not been all gloom and doom for the two teams so far though. After a stalemate against NorthEast United in their opening game, Bengaluru were in control of their match against FC Goa and only an unfortunate tackle in injury time helped Goa equalise through a penalty. Against Jamshedpur FC, though, heroics from Subrata Paul denied Bengaluru a goal. After an opening game debacle in Goa which they lost 0-3, Chennaiyin's defence has held its own against Mumbai City and ATK, conceding only one goal since.
Chennaiyin last scored in an ISL match back in February. Ironically, it was against Bengaluru FC and the Marina Machans won the game 2-1. John Gregory's side will hope for a repeat of that result on Sunday while Carles Cuadrat's agenda will be to pile further misery on their South Indian rivals.
