East Bengal register vital win to dash BFC's play-off hopes

Saul Crespo and Cleiton Silva were on target as East Bengal FC edged out Bengaluru FC BFC 2-1 in their Indian Super League ISL 2023-24 match here on Sunday. Bengaluru pulled one back through skipper Sunil Chhetri, who converted a penalty, and their chances of entering the ISL play-offs too vanished with the defeat.

Saul Crespo and Cleiton Silva were on target as East Bengal FC edged out Bengaluru FC (BFC) 2-1 in their Indian Super League (ISL 2023-24) match here on Sunday. Bengaluru pulled one back through skipper Sunil Chhetri, who converted a penalty, and their chances of entering the ISL play-offs too vanished with the defeat. East Bengal moved to sixth place on the ISL points table with this win, with 24 points from 21 matches. They are now ahead of Chennaiyin FC (7th) and NorthEast United FC (8th) in the table. Bengaluru, who have 22 points from 21 games, is out of the contention for the play-offs now. A game with such massive stakes attached to it, had penalties playing a massive role in the eventual outcome. The lively Naorem Mahesh Singh was brought down on the left side of the Bengaluru box by the latter's 19-year-old midfielder Lalremtluanga Fanai. It was a straightforward spot-kick, which Saul converted by slotting the ball on the bottom right corner in the 19th minute. BFC skipper Chhetri gave them a glimmer of hope at the hour mark of the game. Sprinting with the ball inside the box, Chhetri took it deep near the left side before attempting a cheeky cross that hit the hands of East Bengal defender Harmanjot Khabra. A spot-kick was subsequently handed to the Blues, and Chhetri netted it with ease to bring the scores level. However, it was the former BFC star Silva whose strike bit the Blues in the end. East Bengal fullback Nishu Kumar carried the ball forward and chipped in a cross for Silva who was stationed just in front of BFC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Silva rose and nodded the ball in, bagging the winner and helping his team get one foot forward towards the play-offs.

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