Bengaluru, May 5: In an exciting encounter on Monday, Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC ended their match in a 1-1 draw during the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season.
Head coach Pep Munoz had to make adjustments due to injuries to Ashik Kuruniyan and Nikhil Pujari, bringing in Shivashakti Narayanan and Ricky Miteei to the starting lineup. The revamped ‘Blues’ quickly took control of the match.
For the first 20 minutes, Bengaluru maintained over 80% possession but failed to convert this dominance into goals. Brian Sanchez misfired on a pass from Ryan Williams, and Shivashakti’s brilliant attempt sailed over the crossbar.
As the first half progressed, Odisha began to establish their presence through counter-attacks. A remarkable defensive play in the 23rd minute saw Siroj Kujiyev sprinting in to tackle Thoiba, preventing a dangerous scoring opportunity.
Despite Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s impressive saves, a momentary lapse in concentration proved costly for the team. In the 34th minute, the first goal of the match was scored. A poor throw-in by Noram Roshan Singh allowed Rahim Ali to capitalize and give Odisha the lead, contrasting sharply with Bengaluru’s earlier dominance.
After halftime, the match’s momentum shifted again. Soham Varshney replaced Sunil Chhetri, and the substitution paid off immediately. Soham’s quick run into the box drew a foul, resulting in a penalty for Bengaluru, which Brian Sanchez calmly converted in the 48th minute, leveling the score.
This sparked a strong period of pressure from Bengaluru, with the goalpost becoming Odisha’s greatest defender. In the 55th minute, during a chaotic moment, Soham’s shot was deflected to Shivashakti, who watched in frustration as his attempt hit the post.
In the 64th minute, the ‘Blues’ faced disappointment again when Rahul Bheke’s header from Siroj’s set-piece struck the crossbar. Gurpreet had to step up once more, denying Kartik a close-range goal, while Kelvin, Sanchez, and Roshan made several attempts in the dying minutes before the final whistle blew.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
Leave a Comment