Coming into their final group game of the AFC Cup, Bengaluru FC knew nothing less than a win would help them qualify for the knock-out stages. And, as it’s been in the past, it was once again their skipper Sunil Chhetri who rose to occasion as they beat Maziya S&RC 1-0 at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here on Wednesday.
Chhetri’s 57th minute free-kick was the difference as Bengaluru qualified for the Inter-zone play-off semifinals where they will play one among the winners of the Central Asia Zone, East Asia Zone (April 25), and the ASEAN zone, with the match-ups and order of legs being decided by a draw.
With three points at stake against a team that has frustrated them in the past, Bengaluru had to name their best available side for the tie. So it was no surprise when head coach Albert Roca echoed similar intentions as he included his returning skipper Chhetri in the starting eleven.
The Indian talisman partnered CK Vineeth upfront while Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Cameron Watson orchestrated the play in the middle.
Full throttle
Bengaluru threw more men ahead with Harmanjot Khabra and Nishu Kumar — the full-backs — spending most of the game in the opposition half while the Maldivian side sat back and defended in numbers.
Alwyn George came close to testing the Maziya resolve in the early minutes with a darting run, but the Goan, trickling past two playmakers, was let down by his touch in the final third.
Though Bengaluru, enjoying close to 65 per cent of possession in the opening half, managed a handful of opportunities, it was Maziya who came the closest before Lau Fong Hei blew the half time whistle.
Ali Samooh, who had a fabulous time in the middle, found an unmarked Aleksandar Rakic inside the Bengaluru penalty area.
But to their dismay, the Serbian’s header came off the post as the teams headed for the break with nothing to separate the two.
Bengaluru returned with a similar game plan post the break as the kept the ball in the opposition’s half for most of the time and were duly rewarded for their efforts when Juan Gonzales extracted a free-kick just outside the penalty area.
Chhetri stepped up and calmly deposited the ball into the far left corner of the net, sending the crowd into delirium and his side, further into the competition.