Bengaluru whip Mumbai

Sunil Chhetri showed his goal-scoring skills with a strike each in either half as Bengaluru FC drubbed Mumbai City FC 3-1 in an action-packed Indian Super league game to leap to the top of the points table here on Thursday.

Chhetri's goal came through a brilliantly-taken penalty kick in the 43rd minute and well-directed right-footed effort in the 52nd minute. Venezuelan striker Miku made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute with a superbly placed free-kick from just outside the box that he hit into the left corner of the goal through a big gap in the defensive wall.

Mumbai got a consolation goal after a run down the middle of the field in the 72nd minute through second half substitute Leo Costa off a pass from striker Balwant Singh.

The comprehensive victory, their seventh overall, pitch-forked Bengaluru over Chennaiyin FC onto the top of the table with 21 points and dumped fifth-placed Mumbai to their second straight defeat at home and fifth overall from 11 outings.

Both sides missed chances galore in the first half before Chhetri converted a penalty kick close to the end of the half. The India captain was brought down inside the box by rival striker Balwant who had a generally poor game and was also booked for elbowing Bengaluru midfielder Harmanjot Singh.

Chhetri beat Amrinder Singh under the Mumbai bar with a penalty kick which shook the underside of the bar and squeezed in.

Costa's strike for the Mumbai came too late to inspire any fightback.