ISL: Bengaluru FC hold Hyderabad FC to 1-1 draw

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], January 18 (ANI): Hyderabad FC and Bengaluru FC played out a 1-1 draw at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 on Saturday.
According to a release from ISL, Devendra Murgaonkar's first-half strike was neutralised by Sunil Chhetri in the second essay of the match. Chhetri, 40, touched the 10-goal mark for the second time in his ISL career, after having netted 14 times in the 2017-18 campaign. Bengaluru FC held 62.4% of the possession but had a solitary shot on target, which Chhetri converted to get them a point out of this match.
The opening phase of the game was slightly cagey as both teams struggled to create clear chances. Bengaluru FC attempted to break past the Hyderabad FC defensive line but were not exactly cohesive in their moves. Chhetri was flagged offside twice in the opening 20 minutes.
The home side retaliated soon afterwards, as they embarked on a positive phase of play with Allan Paulista winning a free-kick in the attacking half. Ramhlunchhunga served a pinpoint cross for Devendra Murgaonkar, who was positioned at the centre of the 18-yard box and headed the ball into the bottom right corner to get the lead in the 21st minute.
Murgaonkar operated sharply in the offensive, making the right moves in the Bengaluru FC box to cause trouble to the visitors. Twelve minutes after his goal, Joseph Sunny picked the attacker in a spot on the right side of the penalty area. Murgaonkar did well to exert power behind his shot from that angle, but the ball was saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the top right corner.
The Bengaluru FC camp made as many as four substitutions after the half-time break in a bid to produce a comeback. Ryan Williams, Chinglensana Singh, Edgar Mendez, and Lalremtluanga Fanai came in the places of Aleksandar Jovanovic, Harsh Patre, Pedro Capo, and Shivaldo Singh respectively.
Mendez settled seamlessly into the game, latching onto a cross by Naorem Mahesh Singh in the 51st minute. Despite the close distance between him and the goal, the forward's header ended a bit too high to the target.
Just before the hour mark, Ramhlunchhunga demonstrated his exceptional shooting skills with a long-range effort from over 40 yards out upon receiving a pass from Andrei Alba. Impressively, the ball was headed straight on target and required Sandhu to save it in the bottom left corner.
Bengaluru FC grabbed hold of the equaliser with a template that has yielded them high returns this season. Williams' second-half introduction delivered just what the Blues needed, as he chipped in a precisely paced cross for Chhetri in the 78th minute in the middle of the box. The forward met the delivery and nodded it into the bottom right corner accurately to pull the visitors back into the proceedings. This was the fourth instance this season when Williams assisted Chhetri's goal, showing the remarkable link-up between the two players.
Bengaluru FC became increasingly probing of the Hyderabad FC defence post this strike. They threw bodies from the midfield and frontline ahead in the quest for the winner. A couple of minutes before the 90th-minute mark, Alberto Noguera tried his luck from distance upon receiving a pass from Diaz. The midfielder's shot wasn't directed on target though, as both teams settled for a point each eventually.
Murgaonkar completed all of his 13 attempted passes, creating one goal-scoring chance, making two crosses, four tackles, and netting once too.
Hyderabad FC will play Jamshedpur FC on January 23, and Bengaluru FC are set to clash against Odisha FC on January 22. (ANI)