Bengaluru FC beat NorthEast United in high-scoring thriller

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:02 am

Cleiton Silva scores for Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United.
Cleiton Silva scores for Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United.
Sandeep Shetty/Focus Sports/ ISL

In an entertaining contest that saw six different goalscorers, Bengaluru FC beat NorthEast United FC 4-2 in the second game of the new ISL season at the Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Saturday.

Cleiton Silva (14'), Jayesh Rane (42') and Prince Ibarra (81') scored for BFC, while Deshorn Brown (17'), Mathias Coureur (25') scored for NEUFC. There was also a rather spectacular own goal in the mix, Mashoor Shereef (22' OG) hammering a loose ball into the back of the net.

Former BFC man Deshorn Brown almost provided the opener of the night with an acrobatic attempt in the very first minute. NorthEast United looked dominant in the opening exchanges but the game opened up right around the quarter-hour mark.

An entertaining eleven minutes ensued with four goals, two at either end. First up, Brazilian Cleiton Silva, playing a false nine role, slipped onto a clever little through ball from Udanta Singh's, before rounding Subashsish Roy Chowdhury and slotting home.

Three minutes later, Deshorn Brown was to have his say in the game. VP Suhair on the left flank curled in a brilliant ball into the box, where Brown controlled well with his first touch and smashed it into the net to draw level.

NorthEast then had a blunder at the back. Ashique Kuruniyan lobbed the ball in from range, it rebounded off the crossbar and came back into play. Mashoor Shereef, instead of clearing it, blasted it into the roof of the net.

On the other end, new signing Mathias Coureur was quick to equalise again. Suhair yet again set up the move for Coureur to slot it in on the second time of asking, equalizing for the second time in the night.

Sunil Chhetri, desperate to get into the act squandered a chance but it was Jayesh Rane right before half-time who drove down a left-footer to bring up the fifth goal of the game.

NorthEast looked visibly second-best post the break. Chhetri missed an easy chance before Sehnaj Singh was brought in by Khalid Jamil, who looked to the bench for experience.

The game descended into a tactical battle with multiple substitutions from both sides hampering the flow of the game late on.

There was one bit left, where Alan Costa's long ball found Prince Ibarra, who cut in and finished with style. Bengaluru then held on comfortably to register all three points.