Bengaluru FC forward Sunil Chhetri, who struck a last-gasp goal to put Bengaluru FC into the Indian Super League (ISL) final, revealed that he had full confidence that his team would make it through, despite the Blues losing the second leg semi-final to FC Goa on Sunday.

In a thrilling encounter at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa, Bengaluru FC edged out FC Goa 3-2 on aggregate over two semi-final games of the ISL, securing a place in the final despite losing the second leg 2-1. After their 2-0 victory in the first leg, BFC faced a fierce challenge from the Gaurs, who fought valiantly on home turf.

The match kicked off with high expectations as FC Goa sought to overturn the deficit. In a stroke of fortune for the home side, Borja Herrera, who was introduced as a substitute for the injured Carl McHugh, found the back of the net in the dying moments of the first half. His goal ignited the home crowd and brought the aggregate score to a tense 2-1 in favour of Bengaluru FC.

As the second half progressed, the match became increasingly tactical, with both teams probing for openings while maintaining a rigid defensive structure. Just when it seemed Bengaluru FC could weather the storm, FC Goa’s Armando Sadiku struck brilliantly with a header, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2 as the game hung in the balance.

However, Bengaluru FC would not go down easily. In a dramatic twist at the very end of the match, the visitors capitalised on a crucial mistake, with Chhetri scoring the decisive goal to send his side into the final.

In the post-match interview, Chhetri reflected on the strategy discussed with his coach before he took to the field. He emphasized the importance of adhering to the tactical instructions and adapting to the ever-changing dynamics of the match.

"It was important because playing FC Goa here is never easy. It was too tactical, where the ball goes, who comes in, when the ball goes here, who comes out, it was all detailed. That's why I had to listen to it. So that's the reason why I listened to it, but we tweaked our formation a little bit depending on how FC Goa was playing and that's why we had to listen,” he said to indiansuperleague.com.

Addressing whether any doubt had crept into the team’s mindset during the match.

Chhetri stated, "There wasn't any doubt, it was clear, I think in my head I had a prediction about what we can do. First, let's get 90 minutes done, go to the dugout, recoup, and then come back and see the 30 minutes, that was the theory."

With victory secured, all eyes now turn to the ISL final. Bengaluru FC will face Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who booked their spot with a 2-0 win over Jamshedpur FC in the second leg of their semi-final. The final will be held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, MBSG’s home turf.

"I wish there was some way that no matter who won, we could play in the home ground, but.. we just won a game which was almost difficult to win," he said as he concluded.

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Bengaluru FCFC Goa2024-2025 Sunil Chhetri