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FC Bengaluru United survived an almighty scare but hung on to squeeze past Indian Air Force 4-2 in a thrilling Durand Cup 2021 Group A encounter today.
A Pedro Manzi penalty and a finish from Yumnam Gopi Singh seemingly put FCBU in the drivers seat after half an hour but the Air Force came storming back, first pulling one back before half-time and then equalising post the break. Both Air Force goals came through their captain and centre-forward, Vivek Kumar.
It took a piece of magic from Luka Majcen to find Gopi unmarked in the box, who finished with aplomb to put Richard Hood's side ahead. It was Manzi who sealed the points late in the game as he finished from close range to ensure that Bengaluru United had two wins from two games in their debut Durand Cup campaign.
Indian Air Force
Subhajit Basu: 5/10
Replaced the veteran Shibinraj between the sticks and never looked comfortable. His defence let him down though.
Jijo Jerome: 4/10
Was given a torrid time by Ronaldo Oliviera and was repeatedly caught out of position. Did not receive any assistance from the winger on his flank either.
Arashpreet Singh: 4/10
Fought hard against Manzi and Co. but in the end, FCBU's firepower was too much for the former India youth international.
Davinder Singh: 5/10
Like his centre-back partner, never looked comfortable against a menacing FCBU attack. Tried his best to play the ball out of defence but was wayward at times.
Mohammed Aqib: 5/10
Got forward well and tried to swing a few crosses in with his left foot but his defending left a lot to be desired.
Manimaran R: 5/10
Tried to shield his defence but Luka and Pedro dropping deeper made it difficult for the Air Force midfielder.
Mohammad Danish: 5/10
A satisfactory performance overall but was ineffective towards the end of the game.
Prabhjot Singh: 6/10
Combative in midfield and drove Air Force on with his limitless stamina and work rate. Put in a good shift.
Saurav Sadhukhan: 5/10
Wasn't as effective as the other attackers as his final delivery let him down on a couple of occasions.
Shahbaz Mohammad: 6/10
Operating from the left, worked his socks off up front and pinned the otherwise adventurous Kynsailang back for large periods of the game.
Vivek Kumar: 8/10
Took his two strikes with aplomb as he hassled Ravanan and James Singh throughout the match. Could have had a hat-trick had he not missed from point blank range.
Amal Das: N/A
Had very little time to make an impact
Ashok Kumar: N/A
A late substitute for Saurav Sadhukhan
Kamaldeep Singh: N/A
On as a late substitute.
FC Bengaluru United
Kunzang Bhutia: 5/10
Had a few nervy moments in the middle as his side lost their two-goal lead. Was far from convincing as the FCBU defence could have conceded more.
Kynsailang Khongsit: 6/10
Stuck to his task diligently and did not venture forward as adventurously as he usually does. Had the measure of the opposition winger.
Dharmaraj Ravanan: 4/10
Captain on the day but wasn't at his best as the defence was over-run towards the start of the second half. Will need to marshal the backline better.
James Singh: 5/10
The younger of the two centre-backs enjoyed a quiet first half but wasn't very assured in the second. Left large spaces behind for the Air Force forwards to exploit.
Asraf Ali Mondal: 5/10
A long-time FCBU servant, he was tidy in possession for most of the game. Linked up with Ronaldo Oliviera well.
Arun Kumar D: 4/10
Normally a reliable customer, he struggled against the pace of the Air Force forwards today. Culpable for Air Force breaking through easily.
Sanju Pradhan: 5/10
The veteran kept it tidy in midfield, however, lacked the legs to go toe to toe with the Air Force midfield.
Luka Majcen: 8/10
Took up a variety of positions and controlled the game. Popped up everywhere on the pitch and produced a peach of an assist for the crucial third goal.
Ronaldo Oliviera: 7/10
Unleashed his whole bag of tricks on the wing and capped off a superb display with an assist in the dying minutes.
Yumnam Gopi Singh: 8/10
A two-goal performance which will please both the youngster and Richard Hood. Seems to be getting better with every game and tormented the Air Force defence for long stretches of the game.
Pedro Manzi: 8/10
There's a reason that FCBU recruited the Uruguyan. His work-rate is almost as good as his finishing and he worked his socks off to deliver the three points for his side today.
Denil Rebello: 6/10
Came on for the experienced Sanju Pradhan and helped instill stability into FCBU's midfield at a crucial moment in the game.
Kinshuk Debnath: N/A
Was substituted in at the dying minutes to help preserve FCBU's lead.
