Bengaluru: Sunil Chhetri stood up when it mattered most, taking Bengaluru FC to the final in it’s debut season with a wonderful hat-trick at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, on Sunday.
After a goalless first leg, both teams lined up aiming for the decisive result — one that will carry them to their maiden ISL final in four years. Pune though had the upper hand having earlier held ‘The Blues’ to a draw at their own backyard. But on Sunday, they found themselves behind just 15 minutes into the game, eventually losing 3-1 to a Chhetri master-class. Substitute Jonathan Lucca scored the visitors’ only goal in the 82nd minute.
Chhetri’s first came from a goalkeeping blunder and he was fortunate to score, but his second was a result of his class and confidence. It came from a penalty in the 65th minute which he had himself won, and it was the manner in which he scored that showed his class. A confident Chhetri simply chipped the ball over goalkeeper Vishal Kaith and scored with a style first made famous by Czech player Antonin Panenka during the Euros in 1976.
Pune City made things interesting when substitute Jonatan Lucca scored from a free-kick in the 82nd minute but Chhetri’s class was on show again as he completed his hat-trick with a minute of regulation time left to be played.
Bengaluru FC will now meet the winners of the second semi-final between FC Goa and Chennaiyin FC for the final showdown on Saturday.
Coming into this game, Pune needed only a goal to make things complicated for the hosts. They didn’t seem far off as they took the game to the opposition but lacked the final touch that would have given them a precious away goal. Uruguayan striker Emiliano Alfaro came closest to finding their opening goal. On three occasions, he missed heading the ball by a whisker with only goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh to beat. The BFC goalkeeper didn’t have to do much throughout the game apart from a good reflex save early in the game.
But the hosts replied with a goal and it was the captain who started it all, combining perfectly with Udanta Singh. From a counter, Chhetri did well to hold play and spray it to Udanta on the right. The winger got near the box and crossed at the far post where Chhetri’s header towards goal saw Vishal and defender Gurtej Singh collide, allowing the ball to roll into the net.
His third was from another counter and came after Pune had squandered two glorious scoring chances. The first fell at Marcelinho’s feet whose shot was straight at Sandhu while the second was a game Issac cross and led to the third and final goal of the match. Initiating the counter, the 33 year-old continued his run aching on a Dimas Delgado lob to fire the ball past Kaith.
In between Rahul Bheke could have well scored against his former club but struck the upright from 25 yards out.