NEW DELHI — Luka
Majcen scored a winner in the sixth minute of the as Punjab FC defeated
Bengaluru FC 3-2 in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Stadium here on Saturday night. The home team broke their seven-game-long
winless run with an emphatic comeback that saw them strike thrice in the second
half to get three points under the belt and stay in ninth spot with 23 points
to their name.
Alberto Noguera pulled off a slick corner-kick in the 23rd
minute, well-directed to Sunil Chhetri on the far post that produced Bengaluru
FC’s first concrete chance of the game. Chhetri’s headed effort was on target
but blocked in time to keep the scores level.
Noguera replicated a similar delivery from another corner
kick in the 36th minute, this time from the left side. He attempted a different
route this time, giving the ball to Rahul Bheke who was placed at a distance
down the centre. Bheke thundered his shot above the post though as he couldn’t
keep his effort on target.
Muhammad Suhail came close to breaking the deadlock for
Punjab FC four minutes later, as he landed in a promising position inside the
right side of the 18-yard box. Ricky Shabong squared up a pass for Suhail,
which he picked at the first go but ended up shooting wayward of the left post.
Bengaluru FC retaliated on the brink of half-time, as Roshan
Singh saw a yard of space on the left wing and curled in a cross for Edgar
Mendez inside the box. Mendez’s header missed the target on the right, keeping
the scores level at the end of the first essay of the match.
Mendez pulled a goal in the Blues’ favour four minutes into
the second half though. Chhetri initiated a move from wide out the left flank
and a lateral ball inside the Punjab FC box was hastily cleared by their
backline. The ball ricocheted off Mendez’s boot before striking the back of the
net to get the Blues the lead.
Petros Giakoumakis quickly snapped the momentum of the game
by enabling Punjab FC to secure the equaliser by earning a spot-kick that Asmir
Suljic ended up taking in the 55th minute. Suljic showed impeccable accuracy,
hammering the ball in the high centre of the net to get the game back to level
terms again.
Filip Mrzljak’s smarts inside the box got Punjab FC the lead
back in the 79th minute though. It was a culmination of Punjab FC’s ploy to
drag Bengaluru FC’s defence wide and exploit the spaces at the centre.
Khaiminthang Lhungdim’s cross from the right was met by Luka Majcen who nodded
it on target, only for it to be saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Mrzljak pounced
on the rebound to target the top right corner, resulting in the team’s second
goal of the evening.
Bheke had been a formidable presence inside the box
throughout the game and that yielded the required returns for Bengaluru FC. He jumped
upon a cross from Mendez following a corner to smash it into the centre of the
goal upon the commencement of the injury time, symbolising the back-and-forth
nature of contest.
Punjab FC, yet, didn’t let their guard down and instead
stayed patient in absorbing waves of pressure and spotting the right moment to
hit Bengaluru FC on the counter-attack. Deep into the added time of the second
half, they executed one such flawless fast break that Majcen rounded off. Nihal
Sudheesh’s through ball from the situation was met by Majcen, controlled by his
right foot in the middle of the 18-yard box and then drilled into the bottom
left corner to notch a tremendous comeback win for Punjab FC.
Bengaluru FC will play next against Jamshedpur FC on
February 9, whereas Punjab FC are set to meet Mohun Bagan Super Giant on
February 5.
