Bengaluru FC 2 (Sandesh Jhingan 42’ og, Edgar Mendez 51’)
defeated
FC Goa 0

AIFF Media Team

BENGALURU: Bengaluru FC defeated FC Goa 2-0 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in the first-leg of their Indian Super League 2024-25 semi-final on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. Bengaluru led 2-0 at the break.

FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan’s (42’) own goal put Bengaluru in the lead minutes before the half-time whistle, before Edgar Mendez (51’) netted on the other side of the half-time break.

Odei Onaindia brought down a free kick deep inside the Bengaluru FC box and delivered a headed pass in the path of Udanta Singh on the right to produce the first reasonable attacking move of the match in the 27th minute. The attacker unleashed a dinked shot that was blocked near to the goal though.

The Blues bagged the breakthrough in the 42nd minute with Edgar Mendez leading the charge for them through his consistent lateral deliveries. One such incisive cross, directed for the onrushing Williams at the centre, was instead met and turned in by FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan, resulting in an own goal.

Williams turned provider in the 51st minute as he produced a slick pass that pierced the Gaurs’ backline in one go and landed at the feet of Namgyal Bhutia. The latter squared in a low cross for Mendez and the attacker made light work of that with a straightforward tap-in to the bottom right corner, resulting in the home side doubling their lead.

FC Goa had their chances in the final quarter of the game, as Aakash Sangwan curled in a perfectly-weighted cross for Onaindia in the 76th minute, which the defender headed way high above the target despite being positioned inside the six-yard box. Boris Singh compelled Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to make an outstretched save seven minutes later, as the Indian attacker received a pass from Iker Guarrotxena at the edge of the box and immediately targeted for the top right corner. Sandhu was quick to spot the attacking sequence and made a timely effort to keep the Gaurs at bay.