Bengaluru FC thump Tribhuwan Army FC 5-0 as coach Marco Pezzaiuoli targets AFC Cup qualification

Bengaluru FC started their new journey under Marco Pezzaiuoli brilliantly as they brushed aside Nepalese outfit, Tribhuwan Army FC 5-0 in the AFC Cup preliminary round two fixture. The Blues always looked like the superior team as Rahul Bheke and Cleiton Silva scored braces and Sunil Chhetri scored a goal on his return.

The first half ended in a stalemate as none of the sides were good enough to break the deadlock. However, the Blues came back in the second half with all guns blazing scoring all five goals. Therefore  Pezzaiuoli highlighted the importance of patience in football. “It is very important that the team was very patient. It’s important when you play against a team that is maybe of a lower level,” Marco Pezzaiuoli said after the game at the press conference.

“In the last area of the pitch (final third), we weren’t very accurate. We had some good chances in the first half and we developed in the second half. And then we scored five goals. The free-kicks and corner-kicks, we had trained upon them,” he added.

It was a match where we saw several youngsters, players like Namgyal Bhutia, Roshan Singh and Damaiphang Lyngdoh all played their part. It was great to see the German tactician giving chances to the young players and then the youngster repaying their faith with solid performances. Speaking about the players he said, “I saw Bhutia play well on the right side, he could’ve scored a goal.

“Roshan played on the right side of the defence – a new position for him. He played as a winger before and closed the side really well. He has a fine speed and can use both his feet, which is a high quality for building from the back.”

The former Hoffenheim manager was also happy with Damaitphang Lyngdoh who has really earned a name for himself at the Blues camp with his exciting performances with the junior team. “Damait is a midfield player, who for me is ‘Small Iniesta.’ He is good on the ball, doesn’t lose much ball. It’s the first time for him to get an experience at this level.”

Bengaluru FC’s newest member Yrondu Musavu-King also made his debut at the heart of the defence and had a great game earning a clean sheet. “He didn’t play for one year. But, he is very strong in defence and while building up as well, he created two-on-one situations,” said Pezzaiuoli.

The German tactician also reveal how bubble life has affected the players mentally. However he also agreed that the club is doing everything to keep the team together in a good atmosphere. “We have two weeks for the team to prepare for the Maldives team (Club Eagles) or the Bangladesh team (Abahani Dhaka). We want to go a step higher to get to the group stage,” he concluded.

Rahul Bheke was also present in the press conference and after scoring a brace the fullback looked very satisfied with his and his team’s performances. “It’s always a great feeling to be on the scoresheet and I’m really happy that the boys did well. It’s our first victory with the new system, so I’m really happy.”