Agencies
Bengaluru
Aizawl FC staged a dramatic comeback to edge past Sporting Club Bengaluru 2-1 in the I-League 2024-25 at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Monday, snapping the hosts’ five-match unbeaten streak.
Henry Kisseka had put SC Bengaluru ahead from the penalty spot in the first half, but Aizawl responded with two quickfire goals in the final 20 minutes through Lalawmpuia Sailo and Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia to seal a hard-fought victory on the road.
While the win provides a much-needed morale boost for Aizawl, it does little to change their precarious position in the standings. They remain 11th with 16 points from 17 matches, just one place above bottom-placed Delhi FC. With four wins, four draws, and nine defeats, Aizawl still have work to do in their battle against relegation.
For SC Bengaluru, the defeat was a squandered opportunity. The hosts had controlled the game and held their lead until the 70th minute, only for Aizawl’s substitutes to turn the contest on its head in a decisive five-minute spell. Bengaluru now sit ninth with 17 points from 17 matches, just one point above Aizawl.
SC Bengaluru, playing at home and in strong form, dominated early proceedings. Their pressure paid off in the 28th minute when Kisseka was brought down in the box. The Ugandan striker stepped up and calmly sent goalkeeper Mohammed Rafique Ali Sardar the wrong way to put the hosts ahead.
Bengaluru, who had kept back-to-back clean sheets before this match, focused on preserving their slender lead. However, Aizawl’s tactical changes after the hour mark proved decisive. In the 70th minute, substitute Lalawmpuia Sailo latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and rifled in a left-footed strike to equalize. Just five minutes later, another substitute, Lalchhanhima Sailo, delivered a pinpoint cross from the left, allowing Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia to ghost past the defense and head home the winner.
