Bengaluru FC vs East Bengal, ISL 2024-25 Highlights: FT BFC 1-0 EBFC; Venkatesh's strike helps Bengaluru begin season with home win

A memorable debut for the youngster!

FT 90+11: FULL TIME at the Kanteerava with Bengaluru FC starting their season with a home win against East Bengal!

Plenty of drama in injury time at BFC’s home ground with a Bengaluru player getting booked for a change after Suresh Wangjam is shown the yellow card in the seventh minute of stoppage time. That is followed by a clash between the two teams over a set piece, which is quickly handled by the officials.

87’: Disaster for East Bengal in the business end of the game as Lalchungnunga, who had already been shown a yellow card, is sent off the field with a red card following another rash challenge, this time on Williams!

Cleiton Silva gets into an argument with the ref and he too cops a yellow!

85’: A promising shot by Cleiton goes over the goalpost! It was a long throw-in that found the Brazilian forward in the middle of the box. East Bengal have looked a lot more threatening in the second half but have not been able to convert any of their chances.

BFC, meanwhile, make another change shortly after, with Fanai replacing Noguera.

76’: A pass from Talal finds Vishnu on the left flank of the Bengaluru box during an East Bengal counter-attack and the Indian forward fires from a tight angle, only for it to end as a comfortable save in Gurpreet’s hands.

Later Vishnu appeals for a penalty after being brought down by Williams at the edge of the box, but the referee signals them to play on.

71’: And now a triple change for East Bengal, with Cleiton, Vishnu and Aman replacing Mahesh, Rakip and Hijazi.

Less than 20 minutes left in regulation time. Can the ‘Torch Bearers’ find an equaliser with fresh legs on the field?

68’: Jeakson goes for an ambitious shot from a distance, only for the ball to fly over Sandhu.

Jorge Diaz, meanwhile, puts the ball in in the following minute although BFC’s celebrations die down within seconds after the offside flag is raised.

61’: Triple change for Bengaluru FC at the hour mark with Diaz, Chinglensana and Williams replacing Chhetri, Jovanocic and Mendez.

East Bengal, meanwhile, remain on the lookout for an equaliser.

57’: East Bengal make a substitution of their own with Cuadrat bringing Madih Talal in place of striker Dimitrios Diamantakos shortly before the hour mark.

Meanwhile, East Bengal have five players in the book with Mahesh being shown a yellow card for a foul on Noguera.

52’: A fourth booking in the ongoing match, all of them awarded to East Bengal players with Hijazi Maher shown the yellow card for pulling Mendez from behind.

Nandhakumar, meanwhile, tests Bengaluru keeper Gurpreet with a low shot that forces the latter to put in a dive.

HT: Half-time at the Kanteerava, with Bengaluru FC currently leading by a solitary goal following Venkatesh’s 25th minute goal that makes him BFC’s youngest-ever goal-scorer.

Don’t go anywhere… the second half will begin shortly.

25’: GOAL! Venkatesh puts Bengaluru in the lead at the 25-minute mark!

Mendez collects the ball outside the East Bengal box following a touch by Chhetri, and puts in a neat little pass that finds Venkatesh on the right flank.

The BFC debutant puts in a low shot that beats EBFC keeper Gill and into the bottom left corner of the goalpost!

Chennaiyin FC become the first team to register a win in the 2024-25 Indian Super League after defeating Odisha FC 3-2 at the Kalinga Stadium.

Farukh Choudhary (48’ and 51’) fires a brace while Daniel Chukwu scores a 69th minute goal as Chennaiyin FC bounce back after Diego Mauricio puts Odisha FC in the lead in the 9th minute. Roy Krishna later narrows the deficit for OFC in the fifth minute of injury time.

And here’s Bengaluru FC’s starting XI:

Here’s East Bengal’s starting XI:

Anwar Ali’s hopes of representing the ‘Torch Bearers’ after controversially terminating his four-year loan deal with Mohun Bagan SG had been deal a massive blow after the AIFF Players’ Status Committee handed him a four-month suspension on Tuesday.

The decision, however, has since been withdrawn after both East Bengal and Ali’s parent club Delhi FC approached the Delhi High Court, with the AIFF since stating that a fresh hearing into the case will be conducted on Saturday 14 September.

It remains to be seen, however, if EB coach Carles Cuadrat includes Ali in his starting XI for the season opener at Sree Kanteerava Stadium tonight.

League Shield winners Mohun Bagan SG were leading 2-0 at half-time in the season-opening clash against Cup Champions Mumbai City FC at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.

The Islanders, however, fought back in style in the second half as they did in the playoffs against FC Goa last season to hold the Mariners to a 2-2 draw.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Match 3 of the 2024-25 Indian Super League, with Bengaluru FC hosting East Bengal FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

The match will begin in less than an hour. Stay tuned for more updates.