Bengaluru pin hopes on Sunil Chhetri to halt Mohun Bagan’s march to rare double

Over the years, Bengaluru FC have repeatedly turned to their trusted leader in times of crisis. And almost each time, Sunil Chhetri delivered – as seen during the second leg of the Indian Super League (ISL) semifinal, when the club captain broke Goan hearts in the dying minutes of injury time with a diving header.
The goal took Bengaluru to the ISL final, where they will take on old rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giants on Saturday. Bagan’s path to the final was no less dramatic – it took a screamer from Apuia into the top right corner against Jamshedpur, with just seconds to go, to seal the Mariners’ spot in the title round.
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When the two teams renew their rivalry in a rematch of the 2022-23 ISL final, Bengaluru will once again turn to Chhetri to stop Bagan from becoming only the second team, after Mumbai City, to complete the league winners’ Shield and Cup double.
On paper, Bagan are a superior side, boasting Jamie MacLaren and Jason Cummings. The duo dismantled a resolute Jamshedpur side that was adamant on making life difficult for Bagan in the semifinals. In a rather confident statement of intent. Cummings, especially, has found his scoring touch at the right time. He was on target in both legs of the semifinals and was involved in set-pieces as well.

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No wonder that Bagan players are exuding confidence, also because they will be playing the final at home. “When we play at home, we have good confidence. If we continue like this, we will win the final,” defender Alberto Rodriguez said.
Leaky Bengaluru defence
Cummings’ goal-scoring spree is key also because Bengaluru have struggled to keep a clean sheet this season. They conceded an unimpressive 33 goals in the League stage; only Jamshedpur, who allowed 46 goals, had a poorer record.
Their defensive frailties, however, were covered Chhetri, who has scored nine stoppage-time goals in the ISL. At 40, Chhetri has shown no signs of slowing down, a fact underpinned the veteran’s 14 goals this season and continues to thrive under pressure. Second only to NorthEast United’s Alaeddine Ajaray, who has 23 goals, Chhetri, starting the final on the pitch or on the bench, will be one of Bengaluru’s biggest hopes.Story continues below this ad
If losing three out of four finals is painful enough for Mohun Bagan, a fourth defeat could be even more heartbreaking for fans and players alike, especially given their current form. A win on Saturday night at Salt Lake will assuage the pain suffered in recent years.
Meanwhile, revenge will be on the top of Bengaluru’s minds after losing to the maroon-and-green brigade in the 2023 final. For that, however, they will have to plug their leaky defence and hope that Chhetri will rise to the occasion, like he always has.