ISL 2022-23: Bengaluru FC break Mumbai City's 18-match unbeaten streak

Updated: Oct 12, 2023, 03:21 pm

Sunil Chhetri.
Sunil Chhetri.
Shibu Preman /Focus Sports/ ISL

Bengaluru FC marked the 100th Indian Super League (ISL) game of the season by beating Mumbai City FC 2-1 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Wednesday to put an end to their opponent's 18-game unbeaten streak. Bengaluru also made a big move towards sealing a playoff spot with their seventh win in a row with Sunil Chhetri leading from the front.

Chhetri made his first start of the new year as Roy Krishna served his suspension. A little over five minutes after attempting to dink one over the keeper, Chhetri tried his luck from the edge of the box after Vignesh D's clearance deflected into his path. Moments later, Chhetri had another crack at goal after getting the better of Ahmed Jahouh. Phurba Lachenpa was quick to go down and put his body behind the low shot.

In a first half where neither team looked to be too adventurous, it was Mumbai City FC who were presented with the best opportunity to take the lead. Bengaluru's defenders were caught in a tangle in the middle of the pitch when a long ball set Bipin Singh on a free run at goal down the left side. However, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made himself big at the near post and blocked the winger's effort which was straight at him.

Chhetri's persistence paid off minutes before the hour mark. Javi Hernandez whipped a corner towards the far post, where the Islanders had left Chhetri unmarked - the veteran charged in to head his team into the lead.

A glimpse of just how much they had rattled Mumbai was visible when centreback Aleksandar Jovanovic, in to replace the suspended Parag Shrivas, burst past a flat-footed defence into the box to create the second goal. He squared the ball into the path of Hernandez, who drove it in first time to put his team 2-0 up in the 70th minute.

This did seem to shake the league leaders up, as they tries to claw back in the 77th minute when a Rowllin Borges corner was headed back across goal for Mourtada Fall to tap in. But this drive came too little too late from Mumbai, whose domineering run came to a halt at the hands of the league's most in-form team.

Bengaluru FC are now sitting in fourth, four points clear of sixth place. Their final league game of the season will be against FC Goa on February 23. Mumbai City FC will conclude their league season against East Bengal FC on February 19.