KUALA LUMPUR: Bengaluru goalkeeper Amrinder Singh frustrated defending champions Johor Darul Ta'zim as the Indian club held on for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the AFC Cup semi-finals in Johor Baru on Wednesday.
After a goalless first half in which Amrinder stopped Darul Ta'zim several times, Jorge Pereyra Diaz saw his sixth goal of the competition cancelled by a stunning effort from Eugenesson Lyngdoh.
Darul Ta'zim, who are unbeaten in the AFC Cup in 11 games going back to last year's final, paid a high price for the draw with Diaz and Juan Martin Lucero both ruled out of the return leg on Oct 19 through suspension.
Bengaluru had lost all three previous meetings with Darul Ta'zim, including a 3-0 hiding in the group stage in March at Larkin, where the Super League and FA Cup champions are unbeaten in 24 matches this year.
Darul Ta'zim coach Mario Gomez restored goalkeeper Izham Tarmizi Roslan, defender Aidil Zafuan Radzak and midfielders Safiq Rahim, Hariss Harun, Azamuddin Akil and Azinee Taib after being rested from last Saturday's Super League match.
But it was Bengaluru who pinned the hosts in their own half for the opening 15 minutes though without troubling Izham.
Diaz fired over from the edge of the box after Bengaluru failed to deal with Azamuddin's cross in the 22nd minute and only a brilliant save by Amrinder pervented a bullet header by Lucero from piercing the net five minutes later.
Amrinder then tipped Aidil's header over from just below the crossbar before Diaz had a shot charged down at the end of a Darul Ta'zim counter-attack.
The Malaysian side continued to threaten and Azinee burst down the left flank before cutting inside the box only to shoot wide with his right foot.
Just before the break, Amrinder denied Lucero from close range before the Argentine's follow-up effort was blocked by Salam Ranjan Singh.
Lucero was having his shirt pulled by Rino Anto in the box as Darul Ta'zim were taking a free-kick but the tugging went unnoticed by the referee to the forward's disgust.
Diaz finally broke Bengaluru's resistance seven minutes into the second half when he headed in Safiq's corner-kick from inside the six-yard box.
But within four minutes the visitors were level when Lyngdoh belted the ball in from almost 30 metres out to beat Izham for a precious away goal.
Though Darul Ta'zim pressed for the winner, Bengaluru held firm and will fancy their chances at home against opponents without their two main forwards.
The winner of the East Asian semi-final tie will play the winner of the West Asian clash between the Iraqi Air Force Club and Lebanon's Al Ahed, which is level 1-1 after Tuesday's first leg, in the Nov 5 final.