BENGALURU: In a fiercely contested encounter at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru FC (BFC) and NorthEast United FC (NEUFC) shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw, marking a competitive start to their campaigns this season.
After coming off a convincing 2-0 win over Sporting Club Delhi in their opener, BFC started brightly in front of their fortress. The Blues took the lead in the 20th minute through a clinical finish from Braian Sánchez. The Argentine midfielder latched onto a well-constructed move, slotting home with composure to give his side the advantage.
BFC’s Ryan Williams was a standout performer, showcasing his versatility by excelling across the pitch — from shoring up the defensive line to driving the attack as a midfielder. His powerful effort crashed against the crossbar, denying the hosts a dramatic finish.
The away team, NEUFC, Juan Pedro Benali’s boys, showed resilience throughout the match. Despite trailing, the Highlanders grew into the game, particularly after halftime. It was because of ‘the wall of BFC’ that Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who was called into action, notably denied a header from Asheer.
The equaliser arrived in the 68th minute when substitute Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia produced a moment of brilliance. His composed, high-quality strike levelled the scores. It marked Lalbiaknia’s first ISL goal, injecting belief into the visitors and capping a strong fightback.
“We knew BFC’s backline gets shaky when the ball comes into the box — they hesitate and lose clarity on their man marking. That’s exactly what we targeted: putting balls into those areas and pressing for fouls and set pieces. We spotted it in the first half and tweaked the plan in the dressing room at the break,” Benali said.
However, in the absence of Rahul Bheke, due to his knee injury, BFC was clearly struggling at the back, with their defensive line looking unsettled for large parts of the game.
Players like Sunil Chhetri, Ryan Williams and BFC head coach Renedy Singh were visibly animated on the sidelines throughout the match. The coach said calmly, “I’m happy with the team’s performance.”