Bengaluru FC notched their fifth win of the Indian Super League season with a clinical 3-1 victory against Kerala Blasters FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi on Saturday.
In an encounter where the Blues conceded their first goal of the campaign, they held their nerves and capitalised upon the openings to break through the Blasters backline and beat them in front of a rousing home crowd.
The Gerard Zaragoza-coached side laid the foundation of this incredible outing within the first 10 minutes of the clash. Argentine striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz has been a bundle of energy for them upfront in this season and it was his relentless high-press that handed them the lead in the eighth minute.
As the Blasters aimed to build attacks gradually from the back, Diaz pressed Pritam Kotal into losing the possession. The former Kerala Blasters forward then lobbed it over goalkeeper Som Kumar to get his team ahead in the game.
Bengaluru’s joy was short-lived though as defender Rahul Bheke’s foul on Kwame Peprah inside the penalty box at the brink of the half-time whistle handed the Blasters a reprieve. Jesus Jimenez was flawless from the spot, firing the ball into the top left corner to equalise the scores.
Bengaluru took the lead in the 74th minute thanks to a goalkeeping error from Som Kumar. The Blasters goalkeeper failed to cleanly gather a free-kick from Alberto Noguera. Edgar Mendez was quick to react and poke the ball into the empty net.
The Blasters went in search of the equaliser with Kwame Peprah testing Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the Bengaluru goal multiple times but failing to get past him. With the Blasters throwing in the kitchen sink in added time, Bengaluru hammered he final nail in the coffin in the 94th minute.
Mohamed Salah cleared the ball away with Mendez having a free run at goal from inside his own half. Som Kumar rushed out of the box to meet him but Mendez dribbled past the Blasters goalkeeper and rolled the ball into goal from distance to grab the bragging rights of the Southern Rivalry.
