Calcutta: A 10-man Bengaluru FC (BFC) saw their dreams of a consecutive AFC Cup final come crashing down when Albert Roca’s men were held 2-2 by FC Istiklol, at the Kanteerava, on Wednesday.
Istiklol advanced winning 3-2 on aggregate.
BFC went behind in the fourth minute after their rivals were awarded a penalty. But replays showed no contact between ’keeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Fathuloev Fathullo.
The hosts then pulled one back when Rahul Bheke headed home his first goal for BFC, in the 24th minute. In what was a massive blow to the comeback effort, defender Harmanjyot Singh Khabra picked up a second booking just before half-time, reducing BFC to 10 men.
BFC also cried foul over Istiklol’s second goal, scored by Dmitrii Barkov (56th minute), claiming an offside. They then won a penalty that skipper Sunil Chetri converted in the 65th minute. But it wasn’t to be the perfect night that the hosts hoped for, as Istiklol weathered a brave BFC charge.
Head coach Roca made two changes to the starting XI, with striker Daniel Lalhlimpuia and Khabra replacing Antonio Dovale and Collin Abranches, respectively, from the team that took the pitch in Dushanbe.
Needing a win by a two-goal margin in order to progress, BFC got off to a horror start when Gurpreet was penalised by referee Khamis Al-Marri for an apparent foul on Fathullo. Replays, though, showed a deliberate dive from the Istiklol skipper.
Gurpreet, who had kept a penalty out in North Korea, was beaten this time by Davronov Nuriddin as the Tajik side went 1-0 up.
Backed by a vociferous home support, BFC went on an onslaught with the skipper pulling the strings from the left.
First, he cut in from the left and hammered a low shot which was kept out by Istiklol ’keeper Nicola Stosic in the sixth minute, before he sent a perfect through ball to Dimas down the middle which the Spaniard couldn’t capitalise on.
Moments later, the skipper dribbled past three defenders from the left before once again being denied by the rival custodian. Midway through the half, Daniel capitalised on a miss-pass by David Mawutor and fired a grounder which was cleared for a corner by the Stosic.
But given the pressure BFC were piling on, an equaliser was always in the coming. A corner played short saw Udanta Singh send in a cross that Bheke nodded home to make it 1-1 in the 24th minute.
