ISL 2018-19: Miku the hero as Bengaluru edge out Chennaiyin in 1-0 win

The only goal came out of nowhere when in the 40th minute, Miku latched on to a pass, outran Chennai's Gregory Nelson and fired his shot at the bottom of the net's roof

10:11 PM

That's one way to celebrate a win.

9:43 PM

9:24 PM

Minute 90+4 -- The refree blows his whistle and brings the proccedings to a halt. Bengaluru earn three points at home in their opening game of the season over the reigning champions. Miku the hero of the evening. FULL-TIME

9:22 PM

Minute 90+2 -- Substitution for Bengaluru: Miku goes off for Semboi Haokip

9:21 PM

Minute 90+1 -- Gurpreet makes a fine save off a Gregory shot. The goalkeeper gets both his body and hands behind to parry the shot for a corner which is dealt with safely

9:19 PM

Minute 90 -- 4 minutes of additional time awarded. That's the time Chennai have to mount a comeback.

9:18 PM

Minute 88 --Substitution for Bengaluru. Boithang comes in for Udanta Singh

9:18 PM

Minute 87 -- Bengaluru sit back and defend and happily ping back any ball that dares enter the box

9:12 PM

Minute 80 -- Time is ticking. 10 minutes of regular time remaining. The champions need to step up their efforts if they want to rescue a point or take all three away from this game. Both look very unlikely though at the moment

9:10 PM

Minute 79 -- Chennai get a free-kick just outside the Bengaluru box. That's a needless, and a dangerous, free-kick to concede. Calderon steps up for the free-kick but the free-kick is awry -- too high, too wide

9:07 PM

Minute 76 -- Chennai substiution: Carlos Salon comes in for captain Nelson Alves. An aggressive change

9:06 PM

Minute 75 -- Jerry floats the ball in nobody gets the end of it, not even the goalkeeper

9:06 PM

Minute 74 -- Calderon is taken out by Nishu near the Bengaluru box. Meanwhile, movement in Bengaluru's bench as Xisco makes way for Bhutan's Chencho Gyeltshen

9:01 PM

Minute 71 -- Chhetri fluffs a big big chance. The Indian captain is left alone in the box and receives the box after a good pass but can't control the ball in time which is taken off by Chennai defenders

8:59 PM

Minute 69 -- Miku is played in by Chhetri. The socrer of the only goal today tries to take on a player too many and gets dispossessed in the end

8:59 PM

Minute 68 -- Albert Serran gets at the end of a Bengaluru corner but his head narrowly misses the target

8:56 PM

Minute 66 -- Good hands from Sandhu who leaps into the air to sniff out a dangerous looking cross

8:55 PM

Minute 64 -- Bengaluru keep pushing forward at a frantic pace. Miku receives a pass just outside the box, pulls a dummy for onrushing Xisco who pulls the trigger but the shot is blocked

8:53 PM

Minute 62 -- Free-kick to Bengaluru at a dangerous position from the right side of the box. Xisco takes it but it comes to nothing

8:50 PM

Minute 58 -- Substituion for Chennai: Anirudh Thapa comes on for Vanmalsawma

8:49 PM

Minute 56 -- Yellow card to Jerry Kakrinzuala! This might have easily been a red too. Bengaluru go on a break and Kakrinzuala hacks down to bring the attack to a hault. Bengaluru players think it should have been a red.

8:38 PM

Minute 48 -- Chennai get a free-kick near Bengaluru's box. Gregory Nelson curls the box into the mix where a Chennai players tries a cheeky back-heel which is lapped up by Sandhu

8:35 PM

Second half begins.

8:34 PM

Half-time report: Bengaluru FC are ahead at Kanteerava stadium at half-time, courtsey a thundering goal by 33-year-old Venezuelan Miku. Bengaluru FC started the game positively but Chennai looked to take control of the game as the minutes passed by. 

Jeje had two glorious opportunities to give his team the lead. The first chance came as soon as the 17th minute when Nelson put a delicious-looking through-ball, leaving Jeje in a one-on-one situation but the Chennai captain's chipped shot (or pass?) went off target and Germanpreet who was rushing to the far post failed to get there on time. 

 

Jeje had a chance at redemption in the 32nd minute when he intercepted a poor backpass by Bengaluru's but this time his first touch failed him as he looked to round the goalkeeper.

 

The only goal came out of nowhere when in the 40th minute, Miku latched on to a pass, outrain Chennai's Gregory Nelson and fired his shot at the bottom of the net's roof. Expect more goals in the second half.

8:19 PM

Half-time: That's it for the first half. Bengaluru lead 1-0 against Chennai for the time being, courtsey a goal from out of the blue by 33-year-old Venezuelan Miku. Chennai haven't been out of form either but they are the ones who have failed to capitalise on chances

8:16 PM

Minute 45 -- 2 minutes of added time in the first half

8:14 PM

Minute 40 (GOAL!!) -- Miku scores the opener! Sisco rolls who outruns Chennai's Gregory Nelson and takes a shot in his stride, powering the shot under the net's roof to score the game's first goal!! Bengaluru 1-Chennai 0. This is Miku's 16th goal in ISL

8:10 PM

Minute 37 -- Agusto is taken out by Bheke on the left hand side of the box. A set-piece oppoturnity for Chennai who have twice come close to scoring a goal. Jeje floats the cross in which is punched out by Gurpreet

8:08 PM

Minute 35 -- A dipping shot by Chennai's Germanpreet from the edge of the box but Sandhu is alert to the threat and parries it out

8:05 PM

Minute 32 -- A poor backpass by Bheke is intercepted by Jeje who looks to round the goalkeeper but his first touch fails him and the ball rolls out for a goal-kick. The two best chances of the game have come for Chennai and both of them wasted