East Bengal 1-1 Bengaluru FC Highlights, Indian Super League: Late Sunil Chhetri Penalty Ends Red And Gold Brigade's Playoff Hopes

The Indian Super League match will kick off at 7:30pm IST, and can be live streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. It will be live telecast on the Asianet Plus, Sports 18 Khel and Star Sports 3 TV channels in India.

East Bengal and Bengaluru FC have won four games apiece in their nine face-offs so far in the Indian Super League. Only one match has produced a draw. The Red and Gold Brigade are one of the four active ISL teams that the Blues have not done a league double over and this is their opportunity to scale that feat, following their 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in September.

Here's how the two teams line up ahead of kick-off in Kolkata:

The first half is underway, with East Bengal attacking from right to left and Bengaluru FC from left to right. The talismanic Sunil Chhetri is starting for the Blues, who will try their best to dash the Red and Gold Brigade's playoff hopes tonight.

It's a dream start for the Red and Gold Brigade in front of a thundering home crowd. Messi Bouli pounces on a Saul Crespo assist with his left foot to slot it into the bottom left corner in the 10th minute. The Cameroonian striker earns his 10th goal in the league this season, and East Bengal go ahead in the must-win clash.

East Bengal appeared to have doubled their lead in the 26th minute, but Dimitrios Diamantakos is ruled offside and the goal is disallowed. Even though the Greek striker did not touch the ball as it slid past Bengaluru goalie Gurpreet Singh, the referees deem that Diamantakos impeded the keeper's view of the ball and hence the goal isn't given.

East Bengal's defensive bulwark Anwar Ali is out with an injury to his left hamstring. Jeakson Singh replaces him in the 32nd minute. Five minutes hence, Sunil Chhetri pulls Messi Bouli's shirt while the latter is in motion, which leads to a foul and a free kick. Nothing comes of it, however.

Drama at the Salt Lake Stadium. A scuffle breaks out between Dimitrios Diamantakos and Alberto Noguera, and the East Bengal striker pushes Blues' midfielder on the face, and the referee hands out a red card for it. Noguera too gets a yellow and that brings an eventful end to the first half.

After a contentious end to the first half, the second starts in a scrappy manner too. Messi Bouli, the only goal-scorer in the game so far, is booked for a clash with Bengaluru FC midfielder Lalremtluanga Fanai in the 48th minute.

Souvik Chakrabarti conjures a fabulous attempt in the 63rd minute, taking a shot at the Bengaluru FC goal that needs an equally good save by Gurpreet to be palmed inches off the far post. Soon after, Vinith Venkatesh is shown the yellow card for a rough challenge.

A reminder that the Blues are already through to the playoffs, while the Red and Gold Brigade need to win tonight and their next match against NorthEast United to have any chance of qualifying. East Bengal are defending resolutely and need to keep the scoreline as is for 10 more minutes to take the first step, with a win.

Oh, what a cruel twist for East Bengal fans. As the Red and Gold Brigade try to frantically defend in the dying minutes of the clash, they concede a penalty via handball and Blues skipper Sunil Chhetri springs forward to take it. He coolly converts it, sending Prabhsukhan Gill the wrong way under the bar. Bengaluru equalise in the 90th minute. Five minutes are added as injury and stoppage time.

East Bengal's last-ditch attempts to find a winner come to nought, as the final whistle is blown with the scoreline reading 1-1. The draw knocks the Red and Gold Brigade out of playoffs reckoning. They stay eighth with 27 points from 23 games, while the Blues now have 38 points and are placed third.