SC Delhi climbed to fourth in the Indian Super League standings with a 3-0 victory over Inter Kashi at the Balewadi Stadium in Pune, while Bengaluru FC edged their opponents on Saturday evening.
SC Delhi made it two wins in a row, as they breezed past Inter Kashi 3-0 on Saturday evening. Delhi began in ideal fashion, finding the net after only six minutes when Carlos Fortes converted Rodriguinho’s cross from close range, though footage indicated Fortes could have been in an offside position when Rodriguinho delivered the ball, according to espn.in. Kashi displayed considerable effort for the remainder of the first half, yet were unable to generate a clear chance, a situation that persisted into the second half as well. Juan Pena extended the advantage in the 74th minute, with a header from a considerable distance, originating from a Manoj Mohammed cross, nestling in the far netting. Rodriguinho then added another goal to secure the victory, as Delhi rose to fourth place in the table, accumulating seven points from their five matches.
Rediff.com reported that Inter Kashi crafted multiple chances to reduce the deficit, including a header from Pratik Chaudhari that struck the woodwork just before the interval, but they were unable to convert. Leewan Castanha also came near with a header from a set-piece prior to the break, while Rodriguinho tested Shubham Dhas with a strike from outside the area for the visitors.
Bengaluru capitalized on that officiating error and advanced the full length of the pitch. Ryan Williams distributed the ball to the left flank for Ashique Kuruniyan, who then created a shooting opportunity for Varshneya, who confidently struck the ball into the corner to Bob Jackson’s right. Previously, Bengaluru had taken the lead in the 12th minute via a well-executed long-range effort from Borja Martinez, but their advantage was short-lived, ending just five minutes later when Franchu responded with an even more impressive strike from outside the penalty area. Little of significance occurred between Franchu’s goal and Varshneya’s, as Bengaluru moved up to third, two points adrift of league leaders Mohun Bagan, with Pep Munoz’s side also holding a game in hand.
Meanwhile, at the Salt Lake Stadium, Dejan Drazic scored twice as Mohun Bagan Super Giant narrowly defeated Odisha FC 3-2 in a thrilling match. Drazic found the net in the 47th and 74th minutes, while Lee Erwin sealed the victory with a goal in the 88th minute. Mahmoud Eid scored in the 51st minute and Everton in the 79th minute to draw Odisha level on two separate occasions, but Bagan had the last word. Drazic broke the deadlock after Anirudh Thapa provided an accurate through pass, before Odisha equalised when Nihal Sudhish set up a cross for Eid to finish. Bagan regained the lead via Lallianzuala Chhangte’s low pass to Drazic, before Everton turned and curled in a right-footed shot following a deflection off Tekcham Abhishek Singh. Erwin ultimately clinched the win in the 88th minute with a precise right-footed strike into the bottom-left corner.
| Fixture | Score | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Churchill Brothers vs NorthEast United FC | 0-2 | Thursday | PJN Stadium, Fatorda |
| FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC | 1-2 | Friday | Fatorda |
| Inter Kashi vs SC Delhi | 0-3 | Saturday | Balewadi Stadium, Pune |
| Mohun Bagan vs Odisha FC | 3-2 | Not specified | Salt Lake Stadium |
