Bengaluru FC’s captain, Sunil Chhetri’s, powerful header late in the second half condemned Mumbai City FC to loss in their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) semi-final first-leg clash on Tuesday at the Mumbai Football Arena.
Bengaluru FC entered this game having won nine consecutive games, including a victory over Mumbai City FC, which halted their 18-game undefeated streak. Yet, the last time Simon Grayson’s team visited Mumbai Football Arena in November, they were humiliated 4-0 by MCFC.
The Blues were suffering in the bottom half of the rankings midway through the season, but they’re now writing one of the Hero ISL’s most extraordinary storylines thanks to their incredible second-half comeback. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, their custodian, outlined the secret to their revival, believing that Bengaluru FC are now being rewarded for remaining faithful to their tactics despite a rough start to the season.
“Belief (is the key underlying our trip) (is the secret behind our journey). Even when things were going well, our faith in our team remained steadfast. BFC’s motto, the team’s motto, and the club’s motto are all the same: BFC always bounces back. Even if we have encountered difficult periods in the past, as well as this season, BFC will always find a way to recover. “We’ll find a way to win, and that’s what we’ve been doing,” Sandhu said in an interview with indiansuperleague.com.
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Gurpreet Singh Sandhu
The goalkeeper made a number of superb stops to help his team maintain a first-leg edge against the League Shield Winners and provided his response to the hard-fought triumph over Mumbai City FC, saying they weren’t looking for retribution for the 0-4 defeat they suffered at the same site a few months ago.
“We didn’t have that (to prove a point) in our heads, thinking about how we had lost 4-0 over here, so we wanted to come here with something to prove.”
“We’ve already shown ourselves against every opponent we’ve faced. We also defeated the champs at home. So there was nothing to prove; all we had to do was keep going with the same enthusiasm and devotion that we had showed in the previous ten games. That’s how we are. “We approach each game one at a time,” he continued.
“There was nothing special that was okay – we need to achieve a result over here. It was always going to be difficult knowing Mumbai City (FC) are so good and the League Shield champions. As (Sunil) Chhetri bhai stated in his interview, they are invincible on good days and decent on bad. Obviously, it was a very, very difficult game, but the lads persevered. “(They) didn’t give up, and a clean sheet over there is always (a) great plus,” Sandhu said.
COMEBACK OF Bengaluru FC
The Indian international was his usual authoritative self as the Blues put up an exceedingly professional performance at the Islanders’ home. He thought that playing with the same group of guys every game made communicating with teammates simpler.
“To be honest, it’s good (communication with defenders). When the same back five and back three have been playing for a long time, communication is definitely more fluid and comfortable. Despite the fact that the presence of people in the stadium makes communication more difficult due to the volume. However, once again, at critical moments, they heard what I had to say, and I heard what they had to say. So it’s a collaborative effort, and I’m glad we have something like that,” he remarked.
Grayson’s team has only let up six goals in their past 10 games. Sandhu discussed the significance of the clean sheet after keeping his seventh of the season against MCFC. He also applauded the club’s recent defensive play, noting how his teammates are giving the opposition less chances and, as a result, fewer repel attempts.
“One of our aims was not to concede, and we are really glad to have done that, knowing how excellent Mumbai (City FC) are, especially attacking-wise. Maintaining a clean sheet was a bigger priority, and we are glad we did. “Clearly, we have a lot of talented players in front of me who commit and put their bodies on the line,” Sandhu said.
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