40-year-old Chhetri hits hat-trick as Bengaluru FC inflict more pain on Kerala Blasters
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Evergreen striker Sunil Chhetri scored a hat-trick to give Bengaluru FC a 4-2 win over arch-rivals Kerala Blasters in the ISL at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
After beating the off-side trap, the 40-year-old retired international completed his hat-trick in the eighth minute of added time by firing it past Sachin Suresh. He had put the hosts ahead a second time in the match in the 73rd minute, with a tap-in. That goal came after the Blasters produced a terrific comeback to turn a 0-2 into 2-2.
Chhetri now has ten ISL goals against Blasters. The win has taken Bengaluru into the top of the ISL points table with 23 points from 11 matches, while Mikael Stahre's Blasters remain 10th with 11 points from as many outings.
Former Blasters striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz came off the bench to assist Chhetri's ninth goal against the Kochi-based side. Diaz shrugged off Alexandre Coeff before placing it on a platter for the 40-year-old striker. Just six minutes before that, the Blasters had silenced the home crowd by making it 2-2.
Freddy scored the equaliser in the 67th minute after Jesus Jimenez gave the Blasters a lifeline with a brilliant backheel goal in the 57th minute. The goals came at the end of continued pressure from the visitors since the start of the second half. Sunil Chhetri (8) an Ryan Williams (38) had given Bengaluru a 2-0 lead in the first half.
After forcing a couple of saves from Gurpreet Singh in the first five minutes since the restart, Noah Sadaoui created a moment of brilliance when he prevented a ball from going out and then found Jimenez smartly positioned in front of Gurpreet. The Spanish striker calmly applied a backheel finish to stun the home side.
But Gurpreet was superb for the hosts after that. The Bengaluru and India No. 1 made several saves to deny the visitors. Before Jimenez made it 1-2, Gurpreet denied the Spanish strirker with a smart double save. The lanky goalkeeper effected a brilliant reflex save from point-blank before reacting quickly to tip over the rebound.
Gurpreet also denied Sadaoui twice, first by diving low to his right and then at full stretch to put a right-foot effort from range. He also kept out a long-range effort from Naocha.
In the first half, Bengaluru captain Chhetri put them ahead with a towering header before Ryan Williams curled in a left-footer into the top corner. To make matters worse, the Blasters were forced to take off young midfielder Vibin Mohanan, who had suffered an injury.
Williams, who had been the provider for Chhetri's goal, scored his by outrunning Hormipam before cutting onto his left and curling it past a hapless Sachin Suresh in the Blasters' goal.