Bengaluru, April 11 (IANS) Francisco Feuillassier scored a late goal to lead a spirited second-half comeback, which saw Kerala Blasters FC secure their first victory of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025-26 season with a 2-1 win against 10-man Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

After an own goal from Fallou Ndiaye handed Bengaluru the lead, Víctor Bertomeu restored parity before substitute Feuillassier struck the decisive winner.

The result lifts Kerala Blasters to 13th in the standings with four points, while Bengaluru FC remain fifth with 14 points.

The Tuskers made a positive start and nearly took the lead in the seventh minute when centre back Fallou Ndiaye’s header was comfortably saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Moments later, Ebindas Y fired wide from distance as the visitors looked threatening early on.

Bengaluru gradually grew into the contest, with Ryan Williams proving a constant outlet down the right flank. The winger’s delivery caused problems for the Kerala defence, and Sunil Chhetri came close in the 23rd minute, heading wide from a Nikhil Poojary cross. Williams then tested Arsh Shaikh a minute later with a driven effort from the right side of the box.

The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute through an unfortunate moment for the visitors. Williams once again burst past his marker and delivered a dangerous ball into the centre, where Fallou, attempting to intervene ahead of Chhetri, inadvertently diverted it into his own net to give Bengaluru the lead.

The match took a dramatic turn in the 34th minute when Braian Sánchez was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following an altercation with Matías Hernández, reducing the hosts to ten men.

Kerala Blasters sought to capitalise on their numerical advantage, with Kévin Yoke leading the charge, but Bengaluru’s defence, marshalled by Chinglensana Singh, held firm to carry a slender lead into the break.

After the restart, the Blues continued to threaten on the counter, with Williams again going close in the 49th minute. Winger Ashique Kuruniyan also forced a strong save from Arsh Shaikh as the hosts looked to extend their advantage despite being a man down.

The Tuskers, however, began to assert control and were rewarded in the 60th minute. Ebindas threaded a precise through ball to Víctor Bertomeu, who showed composure to guide a right-footed finish into the bottom-right corner, bringing the visitors level.

With momentum on their side, the Blasters continued to press, and their persistence paid off in the 78th minute. Substitute Francisco Feuillassier marked his ISL debut in style, latching onto another incisive pass from Ebindas before weaving past his marker and finishing from a tight angle through Gurpreet’s legs to put Kerala ahead 2-1.

Bengaluru pushed forward in the closing stages, with substitute Monirul Molla and Williams leading late attacks, but Kerala’s defence stood resolute. Arsh Shaikh produced a crucial save in stoppage time, while Bikash Yumnam made an important clearance to preserve the lead.

The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 2-1 victory for Kerala Blasters FC, their first of the season, as they showed resilience and composure to overturn the deficit against a spirited Bengaluru side.

–IANS

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