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Indian Super League (ISL) resumed after the international break with an exciting contest between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Sunil Chhetri scored in the 55th minute to bring an evenly poised game in favour of the hosts.
The Southern derby had its fair share of action as both the teams came close to goal regularly right from the start. However, the scoreline remained nil at the end of the first half. Carles Cuadrat's mid-break talks turned vital as the reigning champions walked back onto the pitch with more confidence. The back-to-back attacks finally found result as Chhetri found the net with a diving header from Dimas Delgado's corner.
Though Kerala Blasters worked tirelessly to equalise, they lacked the final touch in the attacking third. Eelco Schattorie's tactics of fielding two strikers didn't get him the desired result.
With the victory, Bengaluru FC climb to the second position on the points table. Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters remain at the seventh spot with four points from five games.
Here, we look at the hits and flops from Bengaluru FC's 1-0 win over Kerala Blasters.
#Hit - Raphael Augusto
Raphael Augusto, was, without a doubt, BFC's best player on the pitch against Blasters. The midfielder had a silent role on the pitch but was the man behind most of Bengaluru's vital moves. Augusto kept setting up his teammates with chipping balls and defence-splitting passes.
The Brazilian offered Sunil Chhetri a defence-splitting pass in the first half which could have taken the hosts into the lead. In the 36th minute, Augusto was in the limelight as he beat Kerala custodian TP Rehenesh to feed Albert Serran. He also came close to goal in the 74th minute, but couldn't get past the keeper.
Raphael Augusto had a good contribution in the defence too. He managed to break the flow of play when Blasters aimed at growing with possession. Augusto finished the game with 3 tackles in addition to 38 passes at an accuracy of 63%.
The former Chennaiyin FC player has perfectly adapted into Carles Cuadrat's system at BFC. He was the playmaker for the Blues and overcame the opposition midfield with ease.
#Flop - Bartholomew Ogbeche
Kerala Blasters have only scored three goals from the five matches this season. Out of those, two came from Bartholomew Ogbeche in the opening game against ATK. However, the striker has been relatively poor since then and has a large part in the team's poor display in attack.
Ogbeche was once again found wanting for the Blasters. He was kept at bay by the Bengaluru FC for a while by the defence which had Albert Serran and Juanan. Eelco Schattorie tweaked his plans and slotted in Messi Bouli as a partner for Ogbeche in attack. Even that didn't help the 35-year old register a shot on target against Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.
The striker was very often out of position and couldn't do much creative to overcome the defence. Ogbeche missed a golden opportunity in the 14th minute when he failed to connect with Bouli's low cross.
Ogbeche has been without a goal for the last 327 minutes in the league and he failed to break the deadlock to get his side out of trouble.
#Hit - Jessel Carneiro
Jessel Carneiro has turned out to be Kerala Blasters' best recruit of the season. The left-back has continued his good run for the fifth consecutive match.
The Goan born player successfully kept Udanta Singh under control. Carneiro displayed his dominance on the left flank every time a Bengaluru shirt was on visit to his zone. The 29-year old had key contributions both in defence and attack.
Jessel Carneiro completed three tackles and five clearances against BFC. On the offensive side, he created once chance, completed three crosses and made 34 passes at an accuracy of 62%.
Kerala Blasters yielded out something beneficial every time Carneiro was on the move forward. He made some crucial passes into the attacking third and fed the attackers with aerial balls. He was quick to track back and rarely left his flank open for Udanta to run from.
#Flop - Udanta Singh
Udanta Singh was Carles Cuadrat's dullest player on the pitch against Blasters. The Flash was nowhere near his natural best and was heavily marked by Jessel Carneiro.
The 23-year old looked to trouble the opposition with his pace, but couldn't find any success. Udanta failed to convert the balls that reached his feet from Raphael Augusto at the centre. The winger's combination with Sunil Chhetri that have led to numerous glorifying moments in the ISL was missing on this matchday.
The India international finished the game with just 26 touches. From the 22 passes he attempted, only 11 turned out successful. Most of the game on the flanks were around Ashique Kuruniyan on the left. Even when Ashique failed to get past the fullback on the other side, Udanta didn't drift the game into his own side.
With Cuadrat having solved his goal-scoring woes, it would be crucial for Udanta to find the lacking rhythm.
#Hit - Sunil Chhetri
After a handful of chances for both the sides, it was Sunil Chhetri's brilliance from the set-piece in the 55th minute that decided the game. When Delgado's corner from the right floated into the Blasters box, Chhetri made a long run from outside the penalty area to connect with a diving header.
The goal was an apt reply to the critics after the talisman's relatively poor run this season. With this, Chhetri has scored in two consecutive games for BFC, solving Cuadrat's biggest worry of the season.
The 35-year old had missed a few chances early in the game, but came back well to compensate. The skipper came the closest to goal in the stoppage time of the first half when his shot from Ashique's cross hit the side netting.
However, the goal was a vivid picture of Chhetri's experience combined with skill.
