AFC Cup Group Stage: Bengaluru FC play out 0-0 draw in opposition to Bashundhara Kings

A aim remained elusive for Bengaluru FC regardless of a late onslaught as they performed out a 0-0 draw with Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh of their second group match within the AFC Cup on Saturday.
Bengaluru thought they’d scored the decisive aim within the 74th minute solely to see Alan Henrique Costa’s header hit the crossbar.
With only one level from two matches, the Sunil Chhetri-led staff is now in a troublesome place to advance to the knock-out stage with solely the group winners making the grade.
Bashundhara, on 4 factors now, ought to thank their goalkeeper Anisur Rahman for making a sequence of saves late within the match to assist the Bangladesh Premier League champions earn a doubtlessly essential draw.
In a match the place either side had sufficient possibilities to assert all three factors, Rahman and his Bengaluru reverse Gurpreet Singh Sandhu each proved unbeatable, with Bashundhara’s share of the spoils proving much more useful within the group standings.
Bashundhara got here into the match hoping to construct on their opening win over Maziya Sports & Recreation, whereas Bengaluru had no room for failure following their defeat in opposition to ATK Mohun Bagan, and neither aspect gave something away in a cagey opening interval.
A mazy run from Bashundhara’s Brazilian star Robinho gave a glimpse of the expertise the Bangladeshi champions had at their disposal however it was Bengaluru defender Yrondu Musavu-King who had the primary actual scoring probability of the sport when his header was effectively saved by Anisur Rahman.
Rahman’s reverse Gurpreet was known as upon for the primary time when he saved out a swerving effort from one other of Bashundhara’s Brazilians, Fernandes, within the thirty third minute, earlier than Bengaluru ahead Bidyashagar Singh lashed a volley over the crossbar on the different finish as the primary half completed goalless.
The sport burst into life with an exciting sequence within the 56th minute, when Robinho wriggled into the penalty and compelled a save from Gurpreet, with Roshan Singh Naroem launching himself to make a looping goal-line clearance.
While Robinho was on the coronary heart of all issues optimistic from Bashundhara, Bengaluru seemed to Chhetri for inspiration, and the veteran striker was not too distant from breaking the impasse when he despatched an effort narrowly over the crossbar simply after the hour mark.
Bashundhara had been denied in a goalmouth scramble earlier, and it was Bengaluru’s flip to endure in a drama-filled 74th minute, when a deflected Chhetri strike was saved out by a determined Anisur save.
The Indian aspect went even nearer when Alan Costa’s header from the ensuing nook hammered into the crossbar and onto the goal-line with out stepping into.
With Bashundahra visibly tiring, it took a wonderful low save from the very good Anisur to maintain Cleiton’s Silva’s goal-bound effort out with eight minutes remaining.
Danish Farooq’s volley flew excessive and extensive three minutes later to depart Bengaluru’s knockout hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.