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Bengaluru FC (BFC) began their journey in the 2022 edition of the Durand Cup with a clinical 2-1 victory over a young Jamshedpur FC (JFC) side on Wednesday, August 17. For new head coach Simon Grayson, this was his first official game in charge of the Blues.
The Karnataka-based club started off the scoring in the first half through the ever-reliant Sunil Chhetri. While BFC carved out multiple chances throughout the half, they lacked the final blow to put the game to bed. Early in the second half, Krishna, who came on as a substitute to make his debut, scored Bengaluru's second goal of the night.
However, JFC's young brigade fought back in the dying moments of the game to pull a goal back and keep Grayson's side on their toes until the final whistle. On that note, here are three talking points from the Durand Cup encounter:
#1 The game offers a sneak peek at Simon Grayson's tactical setup
It's still early days for Simon Grayson in his new managerial job, but the coach has already established some distinctive tactical layouts. Right from the get-go, BFC, realizing their qualitative and physical advantage over their opponents, pressed high up the pitch.
Grayson set up his men in a 4-3-3 formation with Hira Mondal, Alan Costa, Parag Shrivas, and Prabir Das making up the backline. Chhetri led the line up front with Udanta Singh and Leon Augustine operating on the flanks.
As for the style of play, Bengaluru FC seem to be playing more progressive passes and laying more importance on their wingers now. Udanta's pace and trickery on the ball made him a constant threat, but the 26-year-old lacked clinicality on the final ball. Faisal Ali too made some positive impact off the bench in the second half.
Meanwhile, after Krishna was introduced in the second half, BFC switched to a two-striker formation, with the Fijian forward and Chhetri upfront. Although the duo were briefly on the pitch together, they combined exquisitely for the second goal. Seemingly, a flat 4-4-2 might be the formation Grayson opts for going forward.
#2 Roy Krishna and Prabir Das impress in their Bengaluru FC debut outings
As mentioned earlier, Roy Krishna had an emphatic impact off the bench. The Fijian international came on early in the second half and immediately made his impact felt.
In the 53rd minute, Prabir Das drilled in a long ball from deep for Krishna. The former ATK Mohun Bagan forward beat his marker with a dummy and Sunil Chhetri latched on to the ball.
The Indian talisman then set up Krishna with a delightful backheel, before the latter skipped past the onrushing keeper and buried it into the net. The 34-year-old continued to impress even in a single striker formation.
Meanwhile, Prabir, on his debut for BFC, had a similarly solid impact for the Karnataka side. He impressed with his darting runs from the full-back position. The former ATKMB right-back provided the delivery from a corner for Sunil Chhetri's goal.
#3 Hira Mondal looks shaky in his first game for the Blues
While Krishna and Das had solid starts to their lives at Bengaluru FC, Hira Mondal had a debut to forget. The former East Bengal man looked shaky right from the start. He was caught out of position in multiple instances and Jamshedpur FC kept attacking down his flank.
During the first half, Bengaluru FC's left flank was comparatively silent. This was due to Leon Augustine's inability to keep possession and Hira staying behind, not adding numbers up front on most occasions. The Kolkata-born player's lack of attacking prowess could blunt the BFC's attacking department going forward.
Furthermore, early in the second half, Mondal was shown a second yellow card for a late lunge, cutting short his debut stint. Hira is still just a game old and the 25-year-old will be hoping to bounce back and return to his usual best soon.
