Bengaluru, May 9 (IANS) Pep Munoz signaled his intent early with a bold reshuffle of his starting XI, handing the captain’s armband to Rahul Bheke while recalling Namgyal Bhutia and Suresh Wangjam to the fold.
In a tactical gamble that would eventually pay dividends, talisman Sunil Chhetri began the evening on the bench, leaving Ryan Williams to lead the line as the lone spearhead for the Blues.
Though Bengaluru opened with intent, Jamshedpur FC provided the first real scare when Talal picked out Eric Messi outside the area. Messi unleashed a venomous long-range strike, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu remained alert, parrying the effort to keep the deadlock intact.
The Blues survived another close call in the 23rd minute when Jamshedpur headed home from an indirect free-kick, only to be silenced by the linesman’s raised flag. Having weathered the storm, Bengaluru finally pounced in the 38th minute: Fanai dominated an aerial duel at the edge of the box to set up Williams, who drilled a low right-footed strike past a wrong-footed goalkeeper to snatch a 1-0 lead before the interval.
The second half saw Jamshedpur FC emerge with renewed aggression, and they nearly found an equalizer when Eric Messi broke through for a curling left-footed shot. However, Gurpreet showcased his world-class reflexes, stretching out a strong right hand to maintain the slender advantage. As the pressure mounted, the Bengaluru defense was forced into a dogged retreating action, absorbing waves of Jamshedpur attacks as the visitors struggled to find the clinical edge required to level the score.
The closing stages took a somber turn in the 83rd minute when Namgyal Bhutia was stretchered off the field, but his exit paved the way for a landmark moment in Indian football. Sunil Chhetri was summoned from the bench, making his 195th appearance to surpass Amrinder Singh as the most-capped player in ISL history. With the record secured, the focus shifted back to the goalmouth, where Gurpreet produced one final heroic save to deny Messi Bouli in the dying embers of the game. Despite Jamshedpur’s relentless late surge, the Blues held their nerve, ensuring Pep Munoz’s first ISL win was as historic as it was hard-earned.
–IANS
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