Kerala Blasters FC staged a spirited second-half comeback to secure their first win of the ISL 2025-26 season, defeating a 10-man Bengaluru FC 2-1 on Saturday.

After falling behind to an own goal from Fallou Ndiaye, the visitors responded strongly after the break, with Victor Bertomeu levelling the score before substitute Francisco Feuillassier struck the winner on his debut.

The result lifted Kerala Blasters to 13th in the standings with four points, while Bengaluru FC stayed fifth with 14 points despite the defeat.

The hosts began brightly and threatened early, though it was Kerala who nearly opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Ndiaye’s header was comfortably saved by Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Bengaluru took the lead in the 28th minute through a slice of fortune. Ryan Williams broke free down the flank and delivered a dangerous cross into the box, where Ndiaye, attempting to clear ahead of Sunil Chhetri, inadvertently turned the ball into his own net.

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The match swung dramatically just six minutes later when Bengaluru were reduced to 10 men. Braian Sanchez was shown a straight red card for violent conduct following an altercation with Matias Hernandez, leaving the hosts with a numerical disadvantage for the remainder of the contest.

Despite being a man down, Bengaluru continued to pose a threat on the counter, with Williams going close again shortly after the restart. However, Kerala gradually took control of possession and began to dictate the tempo.

Their persistence paid off in the 60th minute when Ebindas produced a precise through ball for Bertomeu, who calmly slotted a right-footed finish into the bottom corner to bring the visitors level.

With momentum shifting, Kerala pressed for a winner and found it in the 78th minute. Substitute Feuillassier marked his ISL debut in style, collecting another incisive pass from Ebindas before weaving past his marker and finishing from a tight angle through Sandhu’s legs.

Bengaluru pushed forward in search of an equaliser in the closing stages, with substitutes Monirul Molla and Williams leading the charge, but Kerala’s defence held firm to secure all three points.