FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC: Sunil Chhetri's last dance, Gaurs' despair and other talking points

The Blues progress to their fourth ISL Final in franchise history.

Indian Super League (ISL) club Bengaluru FC have earned themselves another ISL Final appearance after beating FC Goa. It was a completely different game from the first-leg which the Blues won at home by a scoreline of 2-0.

The Gaurs looked motivated from the first whistle and scored an invaluable opener early in the second half through Borja Herrera’s free-kick. The home side doubled their lead after Armando Sadiku best his marker and got his head on Aakash Sangwan’s cross to make it 2-0 and level things on aggregate.

Captain. Leader. Legend Sunil Chhetri turns up at the moment yet again, as Bengaluru FC beat FC Goa in aggregate to reach the ISL 2024-25 Finals !!#IndianFootball #ISL #ISLFinal #FCGBFC pic.twitter.com/XaZ0rEaQKt

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) April 6, 2025

However, the Blues club captain Sunil Chhetri had other plans as he was at the right place at the right time to head home Namgyal Bhutia’s header past Hrithik Tiwari to make 2-1 on the night. A late goal in the 90+3 minute of stoppage time was enough for the Blues to book their place in their fourth final.

FC Goa team selection and tactical troubles

Manolo Marquez continued his trend of picking the wrong men for the starting eleven in important games. The Spaniard stuck with his selection of defender Carl McHugh in the heart of midfield, which backfired during the first leg.

Marquez then quickly made the change in the 35th minute when he hooked McHugh and went with Borja Herrera, who is a more attacking option. The substitution even worked well as Borja was the reason, Marquez got an opener early in the second half. Team selection and tactical choices have been perplexing to say the least in the eyes of fans.

ALSO READ: FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC Higlights: Sunil Chhetri’s extra-time goal guides Blues to ISL Final

Can Sunil Chhetri have a memorable ‘Last Dance’ ?

The 40-year-old striker continues to defy father time as he rescued his side once again from a nervy finish. Coming on as a substitute, Chhetri entered the game in the 55th minute after the Blues went down a goal.

While his influence in the game was limited, he switched on for his side at the perfect time when the pressure was mounting on his team. With a place in the ISL Final now booked, Chhetri has a chance of winning his second ISL title.

As he enters the twilight years of his legendary career, there is a sense that this could be his final chance of winning the title.

Were FC Goa denied a clear goal due to lack of VAR?

One of the most contentious and highly debated points from the game was when Dejan Drazic went behind the Blues backline following a lovely through ball by striker Iker Guarrotxena. While he subsequently converted the chance with aplomb against Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, he was flagged offside.

While initial look at the reel showed that Drazic was offside, the replays showed that it was a touch-and-go matter. The move was only a matter of inches and Drazic appeared onside. While it was not contested heavily in the moment, looking back at full-time, that decision remains one that will be talked for days to come.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.