Bengaluru stay atop with win
BENGALURU: Udanta Singh fired home an 87th minute winner to light up the Fortress as Bengaluru FC beat Delhi Dynamos 1-0 to go three points clear on top of the table and keep their unbeaten start to the Indian Super League, intact, at the Kanteerava Stadium, on Monday.
Skipper Sunil Chhetri marked his 150th game in a BFC shirt as his side fought tooth and nail until the final whistle to get the better of a stubborn Delhi side.
Delhi could have gone ahead in the 30th minute if it hadn’t been for Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s making himself big to deny Lallianzuala Chhangte from a one-on-one situation.
Encouraged by the threat they put the Bengaluru defence under, the visitors attacked and it needed more of Sandhu’s quality to keep them at bay.
PUNE HOST NORTHEAST
PUNE: A resurgent FC Pune City, buoyed by a newfound attacking prowess, take on NorthEast United FC on Tuesday at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune.
Even though it seems quite unlikely given the competition and the current points position among the present top four, Pune, with only five points from eight matches, are hoping to turn the fortunes with a good run of results to propel them further in contention for a playoff spot.
The international break seemed to have given Pune some hope as they finally managed to register their first win by beating Jamshedpur FC last week.
The Stallions have also been boosted with the signing of star striker Iain Hume, who coming out of a long injury showed flashes of brilliance in his brief time on the field.
On the wings, Ashique Kuruniyan has been in sublime form for the home side and has troubled the opposition defenders with his pace and dribbling skills.
Interim coach Pradyum Reddy will hope that Marcelinho can get back to his best.
Reddy has vowed to take the game to NorthEast United and will be hoping his star forwards trouble the Highlanders.