Juanan carries Bengaluru to top of ISL

Pune, December 4

Bengaluru FC extended their unbeaten run in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League to seven games with a narrow 1-0 win over Odisha FC at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex here today.

Centre-back Juanan (36th minute) scored his first goal of the season to secure Bengaluru’s third win of the season and take them to the top of the table.

After seven matches, Carles Cuadrat’s side has 13 points while Odisha are sixth with six points.

The teams were off the blocks in quick time and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was called into action within minutes. The teams missed chances to score as Jerry Mawihmingthanga shot wide from a corner and Sunil Chhetri failed to hit the target from an Udanta Singh cross.

With the contest heating up, centre-back Juanan showcased his skills to give Bengaluru the lead. Nishu Kumar’s lob into the box was flicked into the defender’s path by Erik Paartalu before the Spaniard outfoxed Carlos Delgado to send a scuffed shot that went in off the post.

EB hold Real Kashmir

Kalyani: Marcos De La Espada’s 75th minute strike helped Kolkata giants East Bengal hold Real Kashmir FC to a 1-1 draw in their I-League encounter here today.

Although East Bengal enjoyed 64 percent possession over the course of the match, Real Kashmir held their nerves to leave the ground with one point.

After Gnohere Krizo put the Kashmir-based side in the driver’s seat in the 33rd minute, De La Espada heeled in the equaliser in the 75th minute to provide East Bengal supporters with some much-needed respite. From the start, the hosts were looking fluent and were passing swiftly going forward with intent. They got the first free-kick of the match but a poor delivery by Juan Mera Gonzales was easily cleared by the RKFC defence line. East Bengal’s Spanish combination was proving difficult to deal with by the Real Kashmir backline. — PTI