Jorge Pereyra Diaz scored in the final minute of added time to send Bengaluru FC into the semifinals of the Durand Cup at the expense of his former side Kerala Blasters in Kolkata on Friday.
The Argentine hitman scored from a brilliant volley inside the box in the 94th minute to give Bengaluru a hard-fought 1-0 win. Diaz was unmarked in the box and a corner was nodded onto his path. His celebrations were wild.
Before the corner was flung in, there was a sense of deja vu in the Blasters' corner as Sunil Chhetri stood over a freekcik just outside the box. It flashed memories of an infamous walkout episode from a couple of seasons ago involving former Blasters' head coach Ivan Vukomanovic. But this time, Chhetri's shot was deflected out for a corner.
In the first half, Bengaluru looked threatening but alert defending from the Blasters kept the tie goalless. Diaz had come close, but he fired straight at Sachin Suresh in the Blasters' goal. Sachin had replaced Som Kumar early on after the newcomer suffered a head injury from a collision with Diaz. Bengaluru had more than 60% of possession in the match.
