2025 ISL Cup: Who Will Join Mohun Bagan and FC Goa in the Semi-Final?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Bengaluru FC Storm Into ISL Cup Last Four
In what can only be described as an act of pure dominance, Bengaluru FC punched their ticket to the semi-final of the ISL Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Mumbai City at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It took the Blues just nine minutes to take the ascendancy in the match, with Suresh Singh Wangjam opening the scoring before Edgar Mendez gave his side a two-goal cushion from the penalty spot just moments before the halftime interval.
Ryan Williams netted the third ahead of the ISL legend Sunil Chhetri’s 74th league goal in the Indian top flight, while Jorge Pereyra Diaz put the icing on the cake with the side’s fifth of the afternoon to complete the rout seven minutes before the final whistle.
The match was not without controversy, though. Just moments after kickoff, Mendez avoided what many felt could easily have been a sending off for charging through Yoell Van Nieff, while arguably the biggest turning point of the match was the referee’s decision to award Ryan Williams a penalty, which genuinely could have gone either way.
Still, credit should go to Bengaluru for making the most of their chances despite having less possession and fewer shots at goal than their opponents. The victory has certainly made the Blues one to watch in the semi-finals, where they will meet FC Goa.
Bengaluru FC and FC Goa will meet in the first leg of their ISL Cup semi-final tie on Wednesday, and you can be a part of all the action by using our Indian Super League livescore tool!
Jamshedpur FC Aim For First-Ever ISL Cup Final
While the margin of victory that Bengaluru FC managed in their playoff tie against the Islanders on Saturday was certainly unexpected, the biggest shock of the weekend came on Sunday, when Jamshedpur pulled off an incredible 2-0 win over NorthEast United at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Leading up to the match, all indicators suggested that a home win was on the cards. The Men of Steel ended the season very poorly, only managing a single win in their last five league games while conceding three or more goals in their last two top-flight matches.
Additionally, the visitors had also shipped 35 away goals this season - the second-most of any team in the Super League - and had failed to win any of their last four league games against this opponent, losing three and drawing just one.
However, despite the stats, Jamshedpur defied the odds and secured a 2-0 victory, with Stephen Eze and Mabashir Rahman scoring the goals for the Red Miners, with the latter coming deep in stoppage time after Mobashir Rahman was sent off.
Jamshedpur FC will now have the opportunity to qualify for their first-ever ISL Cup final, having previously failed to win either of their previous playoff appearances, losing to Kerala Blasters 1-0 and drawing 1-1 in the semis in 2021-22 when they won the ISL Shield.
Standing in the Red Miners' way of an ISL Cup final appearance is this season’s ISL Shield winners, Mohun Bagan, who they will face at the JRD Tata Sports Complex Football Stadium on Thursday, and you can check out our experts' Indian Super League predictions for that match ahead of kickoff!
