Bengaluru FC began its Indian Super League 2025-26 campaign in commanding fashion, defeating Sporting Club Delhi 2-0 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday.
Backed by a lively crowd of more than 12,300 supporters, the home side controlled proceedings for much of the evening, with goals from Sivasakthi Narayanan and veteran striker Sunil Chhetri sealing a deserved victory.
BFC started brightly, deploying Narayanan and Ryan Williams in attack while Chhetri began the match on the bench. Williams threatened early, firing a shot just wide of the far post. Soon after, Ashique Kuruniyan rose to meet a cross with a powerful header, only to see it tipped over the bar by SC Delhi goalkeeper Vishal Yadav.
The breakthrough arrived just before half-time. Nikhil Poojary delivered a perfectly timed headed pass into the path of an unmarked Narayanan, who made no mistake from close range to give the hosts the lead.
Bengaluru maintained the pressure after the restart, while Delhi struggled to retain possession and build sustained attacks. The visitors did carve out an opportunity when Augustine Lalrochana unleashed a low strike, but BFC goalkeeper Gurpreet Sandhu produced a sharp save to preserve the advantage.
Striker Alan Saji came agonisingly close to equalising for Delhi but failed to convert from close range, allowing the hosts to remain firmly in control.
The defining moment of the night, however, came deep into injury time. Introduced in the 78th minute, Chhetri capitalised on a defensive lapse when Vishal rushed well outside his box in an attempt to intercept a pass. The 41-year-old forward calmly evaded the goalkeeper and slotted a left-footed effort into the empty net, sparking celebrations across the stadium.
At 41 years and 196 days old, Chhetri became the oldest goal-scorer in ISL history, surpassing the previous record held by Robert Pires, who scored for FC Goa during the 2014-15 season at 41 years and 15 days.
For Bengaluru FC, the result not only marked a winning start to the season but also underlined the enduring impact of their captain, whose record-breaking strike added a historic touch to an already impressive opening night.
