On a historic night when Sunil Chhetri became the most-capped Indian Super League player with 195 appearances, it was his longtime teammate Gurpreet Singh Sandhu who delivered a goalkeeping masterclass to lead Bengaluru FC to a 1-0 victory over Jamshedpur FC at the JRD Tata Sports Complex on Saturday.
Match Overview
Jamshedpur FC, aiming to stay in title contention, started aggressively but could not breach Gurpreet's defense. Ryan Williams scored the decisive goal in the 38th minute, handing Bengaluru the win and inflicting Jamshedpur's first home defeat of the season.
First Half Action
Jamshedpur began brightly, registering their first shot on goal in the 15th minute through Messi Bouli, which did not trouble Gurpreet. Minutes later, Gurpreet collected a dangerous cross from Rosenberg Gabriel at the second attempt. Despite a free kick opportunity, Pratik Chaudhari's effort was ruled offside.
The match turned in Bengaluru's favor as Williams tested the hosts' defense. In the 38th minute, a long ball from near the halfway line was controlled by Lalremtluanga Fanai, allowing Williams to take two touches and slot the ball into the bottom-left corner through the legs of defenders. Albino Gomes got a hand to it but could not prevent the goal.
Second Half Drama
Jamshedpur continued to push for an equalizer after the break, but Gurpreet produced a brilliant right-handed save to deny Bouli from point-blank range. The contest became stop-start, but despite sustained pressure and strong home support, Jamshedpur slumped to only their second loss of the season.
Standings Impact
With the victory, Bengaluru FC climbed to fourth place with 20 points from 12 matches, while Jamshedpur slipped to third with 21 points from the same number of games, virtually ending their title hopes.
