ISL: Debutant Worneilen’s late magic helps Bengaluru FC tame Chennaiyin FC 2-1

Bengaluru FC signed off on their campaign in thrilling fashion, maintaining an undefeated record away from home after a gritty 2-1 victory over Chennaiyin FC Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai on Saturday evening. The win capped off a stellar away run for the Blues, who secured five victories and two draws from their seven matches on the road.

Bengaluru head coach Pep Muñoz shook things up for this encounter, making a couple of notable changes to the starting XI that faced Jamshedpur FC. Youngster Soham Varshneya was handed his first-ever start for the Blues, while Shivaldo earned his first start of the season. The squad was further boosted by the return of Nikhil Poojary, who made the bench after a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury. It was also a landmark evening for talisman Ryan Williams, who celebrated a milestone half-century of appearances for the Blues in the Indian Super League.

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For his final starting XI of the season, Chennaiyin head coach Clifford Rayes Miranda rang in a host of changes. Eduardo Kau and Ankit Mukherjee came into the defence alongside PC Laldinpuia and Mandar Rao Dessai ahead of Mohammad Nawaz. Jitendra Singh partnered Lalrinliana Hnamte in midfield, while Irfan Yadwad, Maheson Singh, and Farukh Choudhary operated behind striker Daniel Chima Chukwu.

Bengaluru dominate possession

Bengaluru dominated possession from the opening whistle, shifting the ball well and finding pockets of space in the final third, though that crucial final delivery initially eluded them. Soham looked lively early on, coming closest to breaking the deadlock when he cut inside from the left flank and unleashed a powerful effort that flew just over the crossbar. In the 29th minute, the youngster turned provider, delivering a gorgeous trivela pass from the right wing to find Williams in the box, only for a resilient Chennaiyin defense to block the resulting shot.

Chennaiyin FC players celebrate their goal against Bengaluru FC in Chennai on Saturday. Pic: Chennaiyin FC

Irfan registered Chennaiyin’s first attempt of the evening, while Nawaz was forced into an early save inside the opening minutes. As the half wore on, the Marina Machans settled into the game and began finding more joy in possession.

Chennaiyin strike first

Despite Bengaluru’s early dominance, it was Chennaiyin FC who struck first against the run of play. The breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute through an excellent move from front to back. Chima sparked the attack by regaining possession high up the pitch before Farukh picked up the ball on the left wing. The forward then released Mandar on the overlap, and the fullback delivered a teasing low cross into the danger area, where Chima arrived to convert from close range and give Chennaiyin the lead.

However, the setback only galvanized the Blues. Just before the break, Fanai slipped a clever pass through to Williams, who celebrated his milestone match by rifling home a superb equalizer in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into the tunnel locked at 1-1.

Muñoz signaled his attacking intent right at the half-time whistle, bringing on Sivasakthi to replace Kuziev. As the second half progressed, the coach continued to shuffle his deck; Soham’s memorable full debut came to an end in the 58th minute to make way for the legendary Sunil Chhetri, and shortly after, academy sensation Serto Worneilen was introduced for his ISL debut, replacing Shivaldo in the 67th minute.

BFC’s Ryan Williams rifled home a superb equalizer in the 43rd minute, sending the teams into the tunnel locked at 1-1

Bengaluru miss opportunity

Between those changes, Bengaluru missed a golden opportunity to take the lead. In the 65^th minute, a dazzling run by Williams took him all the way to the right byline before he cut the ball back perfectly for Sanchez. However, the Argentine’s close-range effort went straight at the Chennaiyin goalkeeper and then over the bar.

Chennaiyin, on the other hand, started the second half positively and almost reclaimed the advantage when Farukh struck fiercely at goal after a loose ball inside the area, only for the shot to ricochet off Chima and behind. Bengaluru continued to create openings in the latter stages, but Chennaiyin remained resilient, with Nawaz producing an excellent close-range stop midway through the half to keep the scores level.

As the clock ticked down, the match seemed destined for a draw until a moment of pure magic found the debutant. In the 89th minute, a fierce shot from Fanai took a kind rebound in the box, falling perfectly into the path of Worneilen. The youngster pounced on the loose ball with veteran-like composure, firing it home to score his maiden ISL goal and send the stadium into raptures, sealing a memorable victory and preserving Bengaluru’s proud unbeaten away streak.