Super Cup: 5 Talking Points as Chennai City FC get the better of Bengaluru FC in clash of champions
This game was hyped, dubbed as the clash of champions, and in the end it was the I-League champions Chennai City FC who came out on top, beating Bengaluru FC 2-1 in the first quarterfinal of the Super Cup 2019, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Goals from Nestor Gordillo and Pedro Manzi put Chennai City in command, before Sunil Chhetri reduced the arrears with a header off a Dimas Delgado corner. In the end, though, Chennai City just about held on, and booked a place in the semifinal, where they'll face the winners of the clash between FC Goa and Jamshedpur FC.
Here are the biggest points of discussion from the game.
Note: All images used in this piece are from the AIFF's Twitter Account @IndianFootball
#1 Mauro Boerchio's heroic performance
Chennai City, right from the first whistle, were under a lot of pressure, with the Bengaluru FC attackers getting into some good positions.
Xisco Hernandez and Dimas Delgado were pulling the strings in midfield, and Bengaluru had plenty of chances. The Chennai City 'keeper Mauro Boerchio, though, was having one of that.
He made several superb saves, and put the cherry on the cake by denying Sunil Chhetri from the penalty spot, with a superb save diving to his right.
Boerchio made a save off a Chhetri header and a Miku piledriver in the first half as well, ensuring Chennai City went into half-time with their lead intact.
In the second half, he topped it. Eight minutes into the half, he stopped Chhetri's penalty, then made a few superb saves to deny Udanta Singh and Chhetri on multiple occasions.
Bengaluru got into superb attacking areas in the second half, with the crosses working a charm for them, up until the final shot, which went awry.
Boerchio's best save of the game came off a Dimas header, after Chhetri's superb lob played the Spanish midfielder in. His flicked header was bound for the top corner, but Boerchio flew to his left and tipped it over.
He also denied Chhetri again late on, after a superb cut-back from Rahul Bheke was met sweetly by Chhetri, only to be denied by Boerchio.