ISL returns with a bang as Bengaluru beat SC Delhi in five-goal thriller

If there was a way to remind Indian football fans what they had missed during months of uncertainty, Bengaluru FC and Sporting Club Delhi delivered it on Saturday. The Indian Super League returned with a five-goal thriller at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, where Bengaluru came from behind to win 3-2 with an 89th-minute winner.There was a little bit of everything. Borja Martinez scored twice, Menno Koch turned from villain to hero, and Bengaluru left it late to get their season off to a winning start. If the league needed an opening-day spectacle, this was a pretty good way to deliver one.A first-half that had a goal, an equaliser and an own-goal. Safe to say #MGISL13 is off to a banger! #MGISL13 #BFCSCD https://t.co/EEQIGBulBE— MG Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) October 10, 2026But the ISL's return is about more than one entertaining afternoon in Bengaluru. After months of uncertainty and a shortened campaign last season, the league is back to a home-and-away format under a club-led model. For Indian football, getting a full season back on the calendar is a relief. Now comes the task of making it count.The timing is hard to ignore. The league returns straight after India's high-profile international window against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, played at a time when there was no domestic season running. India drew 1-1 with Panama before losing 4-0 to Brazil and 6-1 to Uruguay. The matches brought attention back to Indian football, but also showed just how far the national team has to go. And that is where the ISL comes in. Big international nights can capture the imagination, but players cannot bridge that gap on friendlies alone. They need regular competitive minutes, week after week. The new season offers a chance to provide that platform while giving fans a reason to follow their clubs long after the international spotlight has moved on.KOCH GOES FROM VILLAIN TO HEROFor a good chunk of the afternoon, Koch probably wished the ground would swallow him up. Borja opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, with Ryan Williams providing the assist, but Rodriguinho pulled Delhi level four minutes later after being set up by Lalrinliana Hnamte. Koch's own goal in the 32nd minute handed Delhi a 2-1 lead at the break. Bengaluru needed a response, and Borja stepped up again in the 75th minute, finishing Mihailo Perovic's assist to make it 2-2.The two moments that turned the tide in the favour of the Blues in #BFCSCD. Watch #MGISL13, live on YouTube and SonyLIV. https://t.co/KxJrsLEud8— MG Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) October 10, 2026Just when a draw seemed likely, Koch turned up at the right end in the 89th minute. He converted Soham Varshneya's assist to complete the comeback. Delhi had one last chance in stoppage time, but Gurpreet Singh Sandhu denied Richard Ndayishimiye to preserve Bengaluru's lead.It was a winning start for Pep Munoz, while Tomasz Tchorz and his Delhi players were left to wonder how a match they had led at half-time slipped away. For Koch, though, the final whistle must have felt particularly sweet.NO TV YET, BUT YOUTUBE VIEWERSHIP OFFERS HOPEThe ISL has made all its matches available free on YouTube this season. Sony Sports Network and SonyLIV are also part of the broadcast arrangement, although Sony Sports' linear television coverage has reportedly been delayed as the broadcaster awaits final regulatory clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).The opening match offered an early glimpse of the potential audience. The concurrent-viewer count on YouTube was around 19,000 at one point before climbing beyond 73,000 towards the end, based on figures observed during the broadcast. These numbers reflect people watching simultaneously, not the total number of viewers across the stream.That is encouraging, but getting fans to click on a livestream is one thing. Giving them a reason to return every weekend is another. Indian football has seen excitement build around big events before. The real challenge is to make the domestic game part of people's routine, rather than something they tune into only when a major international side comes to town.The recent friendlies brought the attention. Now the ISL has to make the most of it. A stable season will not solve every problem in Indian football, but it can give players the matches they need and supporters something to invest in.Saturday delivered the goals, the comeback and the late winner. Not a bad way to return. The question is whether the ISL can keep the show going when the opening-day buzz wears off.The action continues with FC Goa taking on Chennaiyin FC at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.- Ends