Bengal, trailing by a goal, fought back and reached the semifinal with a convincing 3-1 victory against Odisha in the ongoing senior national football championship for the Santosh Trophy at the Deccan Arena stadium ground, Hyderabad, on Thursday. Bengal have been unbeaten so far in the tournament.

Odisha took the lead on Rakesh Oraon's strike in the 24th minute. They could have increased the score in the early first half as Bengal's defense struggled to combine during that phase. 

Bengal’s experienced coach Sanjoy Sen made a significant change by fielding Mohammedan Sporting’s promising striker Israfil Dewan and his presence changed the complexion of the game. 

Narohari Srestha brought the equalizer for Bengal in the dying moments of the first session. Rovi Hansda doubled the lead in the 77th minute and Manotosh Majhi sealed the opposition's fate, scoring the third goal in the 92nd minute.