(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Bengaluru FC's head coach, Gerard Zaragoza, expressed his delight with his team's performance following a narrow victory against Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The match was a thrilling contest right from the outset, with both teams fiercely competing for the crucial three points. Despite numerous opportunities, including several for Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri, the hosts struggled to convert their chances into goals.
In the end, it was Javi Hernandez's 89th-minute strike that proved decisive as Bengaluru FC secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over the Blasters. Shivaldo Chingambam Singh's well-placed cutback found Hernandez unmarked inside the box, and his precise wrong-footed shot found the back of the net, beating goalkeeper Karanjit Singh. With this victory, Bengaluru FC extended their unbeaten streak against the Yellow Army at home.
Zaragoza expressed his satisfaction with his players' performances and conveyed his pleasure in securing three crucial points against Ivan Vukomanovic's Kerala Blasters FC.
“We are so happy because of the three points and what the supporters gave to us,” he said in the post-match press conference.
During the entirety of the match, the defensive line of the Blues, led by Aleksandar Jovanovic, remained resolute, restricting the Blasters to merely one shot on target throughout the evening. The head coach of Bengaluru FC expressed contentment with his players' responses during the match and praised their composure until the last whistle, ensuring a victory while maintaining a clean sheet.
“I'm so happy with how the team played the game, how brave we were, and how we dominated everything,” he shared.
“We could score more goals, but finally, we have three points. We have 12 days till the next match. We have time now to enjoy and prepare for the game against FC Goa,” he added.
Zaragoza stressed the significance of securing three points at their home ground. Remarkably, the Blues have experienced only one defeat at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium this season and have maintained an unbeaten record on other occasions.
“The most important thing is that, here in Kanteerava, we lost only a single game, which came against Mumbai City FC. Since I've been here, we managed to get 13 points from 15 possible points,” he explained.
After this triumph, Bengaluru FC climbed to the sixth position with 21 points from 18 games. Zaragoza voiced confidence in securing a playoff berth and anticipates a strong showing when they confront FC Goa on March 14.
“We are in the race for the sixth
spot. Now we need to compete outside because now we're going to Goa, and we know how difficult it is to play in Goa,” he commented.
The head coach conveyed immense satisfaction with the contribution of their supporters in maintaining their narrow one-goal lead and clinching all three points on home turf. However, Zaragoza urged his players to replicate this performance in the forthcoming away fixtures.
“This is Kanteerava. It's not easy to play in Kanteerava, especially in the last 10–15 minutes,” he opined.
“I want (my team) to be like this in every single match. If we want to play in the playoffs, we need to perform like this, firstly at home and also away,” he concluded.
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