Gerard Zaragoza hails Bengaluru FC after club qualifies for ISL finals despite injury woes

Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza was delighted after Bengaluru FC qualified for the final of the Indian Super League on Sunday. The Blues registered a 3-2 win on aggregate against FC Goa to make it to the summit clash of the tournament.

After a goalless first half in the second-leg semifinal at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Goa, Borja Herrera scored for the Gaurs in the 49th minute. When it looked that Bengaluru FC will qualify for the final, there was a twist in the tale as Armando Sadiku scored in the 88th minute to equalize the aggregate score.

However, Bengaluru FC’s veteran Sunil Chhetri scored the winning goal with a header in the 92nd minute to help his team seal their final berth.

Zaragoza noted that crucial players like Alberto Noguera, Suresh Singh, and Rahul Bheke were carrying injuries but they were able to get a positive result.

“The first half was exactly like what we expected. They (FC Goa) wanted to enter the game, and then we tried to control everything. They did crosses and shots, but nothing special. We wanted to finish the first half like this, 0-0, or at least score one goal. I think the first goal of them arrived too early, and that provoked us to defend, defend, defend,” Zaragoza said in the post-match press conference.

“We really have a lot of players who are tired or injured. We had, in this case, Ryan (Williams) on the bench. Also, if it was a normal game, Noguera was not playing. But it’s a game that he needs to play. We had Suresh with an injury, and Rahul (Bheke) also had a little bit of an injury. But when you have players like Ryan Williams and Sunil Chhetri, you can change them, put them in the second half, and kill the game at that moment. They kill the game, and as a coach, it’s amazing,” he added.

The Spanish football manager showered praise on Sunil Chhetri for scoring the decisive goal and making the most of his experience.

Speaking in context, Zaragoza said, “Football is about this. It’s about these inches, to be at the right moment in the right second, and Sunil Chettri is like this.

“For that, we have him; we have these amazing foreigners. For us, we have this amazing defensive Indian line and the best goalkeeper in India.”

Bengaluru FC will either face Mohun Bagan Super Giant or Jamshedpur FC in the finale on Saturday.