Bengaluru FC got their title defence off to the perfect start as the Blues brushed aside Shillong Lajong 3-0. A brace from Udanta Singh put Bengaluru in command before Sena Ralte’s stunning long-range strike put the icing on the cake.
In what was Albert Roca’s first I-League game in charge of Bengaluru and the club’s first I-League game without Ashley Westwood in the dugout, it was harder for Bengaluru than the scoreline made it look. Shillong dug deep, but Bengaluru’s quality was a hurdle too big to cross for the side from Meghalaya.
Here are five big takeaways from the game.
#1 Bengaluru’s injury worries in defence
Bengaluru came into the game with just four fit defenders. Rino Anto, Keegan Pereira, Lalchhuanmawia Fanai, Salam Ranjan Singh and Gursimrat Singh were all out injured. That left John Johnson, Juan Antonio, Nishu Kumar and Sena Ralte as the only fit first-team defenders in the squad.
But they found a way around it. Ralte made his debut for the club, and Harmanjot Khabra played at right-back, not his preferred position on his debut. Khabra and Ralte were strong on the wings and it was very difficult for Shillong to bring any width into their play.
And when they did go long to find their strikers with the high balls, Johnson and Juanan gobbled them up as it was meat and drink for them. The defensive performance was so accomplished that until second half stoppage time, Amrinder Singh did not have a save to make.
It was a defensive performance that deserved credit. Although Shillong did not look like posing too many difficulties, the professionalism with which the Bengaluru defenders went about their business was something to be hugely appreciated.
#2 Lacklustre start from Bengaluru
In the initial phases of the game, Bengaluru did not look like a side playing with any kind of confidence. They weren’t moving the ball around quickly enough, they weren’t playing the easy passes well and this made life difficult for them.
Instead, what we saw was a nervous Bengaluru which had not been the case in any of the five previous games under Roca. Udanta and Khabra were heavily involved in the opening exchanges and the pair matched each other misplaced pass for misplaced pass.
To round off Bengaluru’s problems, they were giving away cheap fouls in midfield, with Udanta and Eugeneson Lyngdoh being the chief culprits. Lyngdoh was even booked for making a horrendous challenge on Yuta Kiwonaki.
But luckily for Bengaluru, the breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute. Udanta put the ball into the net from a few yards out after an almighty goalmouth scramble. The goal calmed the team down and they then went on to play some delightful football.
Udanta was creating havoc for Sena Singh and that meant Vishal Kaith in goal had to be at the top of his game to take the teams into half-time with the scoreline at 1-0.
Bengaluru were still the better side in the opening exchanges, even with all their mistakes, and maybe it was just a case of having opening day jitters, but in those initial minutes, they made things as difficult for themselves as they possibly could.
#3 Udanta comes up trumps
It has been a tough last few months for Udanta Singh as his road back from injury has not been easy. But on the opening day of the new season, he calmed the nerves of everyone – himself, his team-mates, the support staff and the fans by delivering a stellar performance.
He took some time to grow into the game, but once he did, he delivered a display like the Udanta we are accustomed to seeing. He used his pace well, he pulled out all his tricks and he gave Sena Singh an incredibly tough time on Shillong’s left side. But he didn’t have a great start to the game till the goal settled him down.
The first goal was as scrappy as they come. Johnson, Juanan and Chhetri were all involved in the goalmouth scramble, that had the Shillong defence lose their bearings, but Udanta popped up in the right place at the right time, to slot home from barely a few yards out.
That was the start. After that, Udanta was a different player. He made some beautiful runs that would have been found had his team-mates taken a little more care with their passing. He was put through once by Lyngdoh in the second half, but his attempted dink over Kaith did not have enough venom in it and the keeper made an easy stop.
But barely a minute later, he made amends for his miss. He received another pass from Lyngdoh and cut the ball back on his left foot leaving Sena Singh for dead. He still had a lot to do, but he did it with aplomb as he lashed a volley past Kaith. It was a well-deserved standing ovation that he got from the crowd when he was replaced by Alwyn George in the 82nd minute.
#4 Strong debuts all around
With all the injuries and the departure of Alvaro Rubio, Bengaluru needed their new players to start performing straight away. And boy, did they! Sena Ralte, Lenny Rodrigues and Harmanjot Khabra all started the game in what were their respective debuts for the club. And none of them did any harm in endearing themselves to the Bengaluru faithful.
Ralte, in particular, had an outstanding game. It was a performance that was capped off by a goal on debut. Can he score many better goals than that? Maybe not, but Bengaluru will not care. The goal was only a bonus and just reward for fine all-round play from the Manipuri all game.
He was solid in defence as he never let the Shillong attackers get past him. In attack, he was always an outlet, a willing runner, and showed good pace and some fine dribbling ability as well.
Lenny, for his part, played a huge role in Bengaluru dominating the midfield. With Cameron Watson being entrusted with being the defensive midfielder and Lyngdoh very clearly the No. 10, Lenny’s job was to do the dirty work, put in the yards and keep the ball moving. And he did that to perfection. His energy was the perfect complement to Watson’s guile and Lyngdoh’s vision.
Khabra though, deserves huge plaudits, just for playing in an unnatural position in a new side and new surroundings. The Punjabi prides himself on his versatility and tonight was another testament to that. He complemented Udanta perfectly in attack, but stuck to his task on the defensive end of things.
#5 The big guns stay quiet
In what was perhaps the biggest positive for Roca on the night, none of Sunil Chhetri or Eugeneson Lyngdoh will be discussed too much. Both put in a shift and played their roles, but it was not quite the dominating, enforcing display expected out of either.
Lyngdoh’s passing was off tonight. He got himself into wonderful positions and mucked up from there as he chose the wrong option, overhit the pass or played it straight to a defender. The fact that he still did create a fair few opportunities for Udanta and Daniel are a testament to his quality.
Chhetri too wasn’t as influential as we know he can be. Starting on the left wing, he drifted in-field and tried to act as the creative force. He had a whole lot of splendid touches in the game, but none really forced the pace or threatened Shillong. It is a rare occurrence when Chhetri does not leave a match with his stamp on it, but this was one such day.
He had a fabulous chance late in the first half and looked to have taken it brilliantly with a curling effort towards the far post but the woodwork denied him. But Bengaluru will not complain. Both their talismen will not have too many quieter games than this one. Despite that, the comfort with which they won was a huge positive for the defending champions.
