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FC Pune City played host to Bengaluru FC in what was a historic tie for both the clubs. It was the first time both of them were playing an ISL semifinal.
While BFC will be very happy with the progress they have made throughout the season and to make it to the playoffs in their very first attempt, it was a bigger occasion for FC Pune City as this was the biggest game in the short history of the club.
They made their maiden playoff appearance after failing to do the same over the last three years. This year they looked like a team possessed with the aim of making the semi-finals, a feat which they finally achieved.
The game ended 0-0, and it's all to play for in the second leg.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#1 A cagey semifinal
A theory or practice which has been a favourite of most coaches around the world is to keep a clean sheet in the first leg of a knockout tie.
This game was a completely cagey affair. No team had the clear upper hand during the match, as both the team’s looked to play a safe brand of football. It was clear that no team wanted to concede a goal rather than go for the kill and score.
The second half though saw Pune step their foot on the gas, as they created more than a few openings, but failed to convert their chances. They had more possession and created more chances as compared to BFC.
#2 Pune look threatening on the counter
Even though Pune enjoyed more of the ball, they had most of the ball inside their own half. At times they looked to defend deep and wait for BFC to hand over possession, which seemed to happen quite often.
Pune did spring up a few quick counters, especially in the second half through the likes of Rahul, Sahil, Marcelinho and Alfaro. They had a few good chances to score and have Marcelinho and Issac to blame for missing two of them. Issac particularly missed a sitter. Alfaro, on the other hand, looked to be the focal point through which most of the attacks for Pune took place.
#3 BFC attackers perform the disappearing act
It was one of the most important games that BFC were playing this season, and even though they were the away team, a goal in the game would have gone a long way in ensuring their passage to the finals.
The mercurial Miku was hardly seen on the pitch, as he had very few touches of the ball (24 to be exact) and could manage just one shot, which was way off target. His passing was poor too, as he could only manage a pass success rate of 59 percent.
Captain cool Sunil Chhetri rather looked agitated throughout the game, but didn’t contribute much other than a free kick that was saved by Vishal Kaith. Sunil too, like Miku, had a very poor pass success rate. Chhetri also got in the way of Juanan, who looked to be free to head in a Boithang headed pass. Toni Dovale was another player who really didn’t have any impact on the game, as he failed to control the midfield.
#4 Pune defend like a team
Starting right from the goalkeeper to the midfielders, all the defensive players for Pune put in a brilliant performance to outplay Bengaluru FC. The defenders were brilliant in keeping the likes of Miku and Sunil quiet. Meanwhile, the central midfielders did a fantastic job to keep a check on the BFC midfielders and stop them from building up attacks.
Vishal Kaith had a commanding presence under the bar, as he was confident in his outings and punches. He also made some crucial saves.
The Pune attackers helped out the defenders as they closed down the passing channels and forced the opposition to launch long balls forward.
#5 Both teams content with a nil-nil
As it stands Pune City will be the happier of the two sides as they had mentioned it pre-match press conference that all they wanted from this game was to not concede a goal. Whereas BFC too shouldn’t be much worried about the result, as a win at home will ensure that they go through to the finals, something which is their ultimate aim.
Bengaluru, though, will be wary of Pune City as the Stallions showed that they possess the required firepower to hurt BFC. With the away goals rule in place, BFC will look to keep Pune at bay.
One must, though, keep in mind that beating BFC in Bangalore is a herculean task, and very few teams have managed to do the same in the past 24 months.
