In a match full of twists, Bengaluru FC came from behind to earn a 1-1 stalemate against Odisha FC in the Indian Super League on Monday evening. What started as a dominant display turned into a gritty fightback, highlighting the Blues’ never-say-die spirit.
Head coach Pep Munoz faced early adversity with injuries sidelining Ashique Kuruniyan and Nikhil Pujari. He responded by starting Shivashakti Narayanan and Ricky Meitei, a move that injected fresh energy into the squad.
Bengaluru seized control early, enjoying superior possession and creating multiple openings. Bryan Sanchez’s misplaced pass to Ryan Williams was a rare blemish, and Shivashakti Narayanan nearly opened the scoring with a strike that kissed the crossbar.
As the first half wore on, Odisha found their rhythm on the break. Siroj Kuziev’s timely intervention thwarted Thoiba in the 23rd minute. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu then soared to keep out Thoiba’s powerful effort soon after.
Disaster struck in the 34th minute when Norm Roshan Singh’s wayward throw-in allowed Rahim Ali to race clear and fire past Gurpreet, giving Odisha an unlikely lead.
Post-interval adjustments paid dividends. Substituting Sunil Chhetri with Soham Shrivastava proved inspired. The young forward charged into the penalty area, winning a spot-kick that Bryan Sanchez converted with ice-cool precision in the 48th minute.
The Blues dominated proceedings from there. Chaos in the Odisha box at the 55th minute saw Soham’s attempt saved onto Shivashakti, whose follow-up agonizingly hit the woodwork. Rahul Bhheke rose highest for a Siroj free-kick in the 64th minute, only to see his header rebound off the post.
Gurpreet was called into action again to foil Karthik late in the game. Waves of attacks from Kelvin, Sanchez, and others couldn’t break the deadlock, ending in a fair draw that reflects both teams’ quality.
