I-League 2024-25: Rajasthan United Stages Dramatic Comeback Against SC Bengaluru in Jaipur Debut

Jaipur, Jan 9 (NationPress) In a stunning display of resilience, Martand Raina and Gerard Artigas each found the back of the net during added time, propelling Rajasthan United FC from a goal behind to a 2-1 victory over SC Bengaluru in their first-ever I-League match held at the Vidhyadhar Nagar Stadium on Thursday. Both of Rajasthan's goals occurred in injury time, leaving Bengaluru languishing at the bottom of the league table, trailing their closest competitors by a point while having played an extra match.

Asif OM (85') had given the visitors the lead late in the second half, but Rajasthan showcased their determination by scoring twice in stoppage time through Raina (90+3') and Artigas (90+6'), whose penalty kick proved decisive.

With this match, Jaipur joined the ranks of I-League venues, with Kalyan Chaubey, the President of the All India Football Federation, present to witness the event and engage with the players before kick-off. This victory lifted Rajasthan United up a few spots in the I-League standings to sixth place, amassing 10 points from seven matches, while SC Bengaluru remained at the bottom with five points from five games.

Prior to this encounter, both teams had collectively conceded 23 goals in the league, which understandably led to a cautious start as they focused more on disrupting the opposing team's attacking play rather than initiating their own.

The first significant opportunity fell to the hosts' Lucas Cabral, who maneuvered past his defender on the right flank and delivered a ball into the box. An approaching Naoba could only send his shot soaring over the crossbar. Bishal Lama, the Bengaluru goalkeeper, was the busier of the two in the first half, making key saves from Cabral and a long-range effort from William Neihsial. Bengaluru managed their first shot on target late in the half, with Thomyo Simray's attempt easily dealt with by James Kithan.

Rajasthan intensified their efforts in the second half, with Cabral at the forefront of their attacks, wreaking havoc on the right wing. After making a run in from the right, he attempted a shot toward the far corner from a tight angle, only for it to hit the post. Their missed opportunities seemed poised to haunt them as the match progressed. This was confirmed when SC Bengaluru took the lead against the run of play late in the game. A long throw-in from the left was expertly flicked on by Ashish Jha into the six-yard area, allowing OM Asif to confidently head the ball into the net, igniting celebrations in their dugout.

Rajasthan had only themselves to blame, but credit to them for not losing their resolve. Almost instantly, after a chaotic moment triggered by a cross from the right, Gerard Artigas managed to nudge the ball toward goal, only to be thwarted by a defender clearing it off the line. A lengthy period of injury time was on the horizon.

Bengaluru could not maintain their composure nor their lead during that tense finale. A defensive blunder following a hopeful cross from Neihsial gifted Martand Raina the opportunity to hammer the ball into the net from close range in the third minute of injury time. A few moments later, things deteriorated further for Bengaluru.

Artigas skillfully weaved around two defenders in the left corner of the penalty area and was fouled just as he was about to evade them. Without hesitation, the referee awarded a penalty. The Spanish forward, affectionately known as the Hulk, confidently converted the spot kick. This action marked the final significant moment of the match as Rajasthan clinched an impressive victory in their home opener.