Defending champion Lalitpur City FC entered the final of Nepal Super League’s third season defeating Dhangadhi FC in the first semi-final at Dasharath Stadium on Saturday. Lalitpur overcame Dhangadhi 2-1 even after they were reduced to 10 men.

Mani Kumar Lama was shown a red card in the 16th minute after he collided with Mohamed El Jaaouani. However, while Jaaouani was the one who fouled Lama, it was Lama who was shown his way out of the ground. It took the match officials around four minutes to resume the game after convincing Lalitpur.

Nonetheless, despite being down to 10 men, Lalitpur did not show the struggle on the field. Rather, they defeated Dhangadhi, the runner-up of NSL in the last two seasons, with one fewer player.

Neither Lalitpur nor Dhangadhi scored in the first half.

Lalitpur led first with Kervens Belfort scoring in the 57th minute. Dhangadhi equalised with George Karki’s goal in the 61st minute, but after Papa Kebe extended the lead in the 79th minute, Dhangadhi could not bounce back.

Dhangadhi kept trying to find a chance to draw the game and take it to extra time. But the intensity cost them a red card in the end.

Jorge Caceido was shown a second yellow when he deliberately fouled a Lalitpur player seconds before the referee blew the final whistle. Caceido will now miss Dhangadhi’s game in the next semi-final.

Dhangadhi can still enter the final if they defeat the winner of the Eliminator round—between Pokhara Thunders FC and FC Chitwan.