An own goal at the half-hour mark by Spanish defender Odei Onaindia Zabala was enough for Bengaluru FC to overcome the challenge of Indian Super League champions Hyderabad FC and make the final of the 131st Durand Cup.
It was a largely cagey second semifinal played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata with HFC having the lion’s share of chances and possession, but in the end The Blues did well enough to win the battle of ISL heavyweights.
The goal came quite against the run of play and in what was probably BFC’s first proper attack of the match. Jayesh Rane played right to Prabir Das, who delivered the perfect cross across the face of goal for Roy Krishna. The Fijian striker got a touch but Zabala deflected it into the back of his own net in the end.
HFC exerted good pressure after the goal and in one particular instance Yasir found Bartholomew Ogbeche with a cross but the Nigerian just missed the target.
The half-ended with a chance for Sunil Chetri after he got at the end of a long ball but his volley went over the crossbar.
The second-half as has been the norm, began with each team making one substitution each. BFC gave Rohit Kumar a break and brought in Namgyal Bhutia. HFC brought in Sahil Tavora in place of Hitesh Sharma.
There were two more great chances for Ogbeche to score in the half and help bring HFC level. The first in the 49th minute saw him make a powerful header off a measured cross delivered by Nikhil Poojary, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in BFC goal was up to the task. Then in the 77th, a move involving Halicharan and Borja Herrerra found him in space for a shot at goal, but he was just off-target yet again.
There weren’t too many clear chances in the game after that, sending Bengaluru FC into the final where they will play ISL rivals Mumbai City FC for the title on Sunday.