Ahead of the first leg of the semi-final between Bengaluru FC and FC Pune City, the latter’s coach Ranko Popovic revealed less about his team’s approach to the game. He was ambivalent about whether his team will look to secure a lead in the home leg or will be happy just not conceding an away goal advantage to the dangerous Blues before heading to their den this Sunday.
“We want to make everything possible for a victory,” he said. “I cannot tell you how we will go about that, because there were many times this season that we were the better team and did everything possible for a victory but still did not win the game. What I want from the team is to come into the game with a mentality of achieving a victory. We will be coming into the game to win the game.”
But he also spoke about being more careful in the knockout game.
For Popovic and his men, it made sense on Wednesday, in front of a sparse weekday crowd at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, to not let the table-topper have an edge over them in the second leg. So, they were happy to hang back, not take too many risks, tightening their defence and counterattacking with caution.
Bengaluru’s approach to the game though, especially in the first half, was a little puzzling. As the table-toppers, a team with an eight-game undefeated streak, a side that’s widely regarded as the best so far in the competition, they could have pressed more for a goal that would have put them in a position to dominate at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday night. The Blues extended their unbeaten streak to nine but they might rue not beating Pune for the second time in this year’s tournament.
“The openings were very few. There were half-chances, no clear cut chances,” Bengaluru’s skipper Sunil Chhetri admitted after the game.
The first threat on a goal – the only one of the first half – came in the 31st minute. The visitors were rewarded with a free-kick after a foul by Gurtej Singh. Captain Chhetri made no mistake with the strike: it was fierce, split the wall of defenders and was heading slightly above the centre of the Pune net. But their goalkeeper Vishal Kaith, hardly troubled hitherto, wasn’t complacent. He leapt and parried the ball away, frustrating the Blues and their fans.
Bengaluru’s first chance was kept away by the opposition custodian, but the next one, in the second half, they lost due to carelessness. Dimas Delgado put the ball inside the Pune box from the corner. The ball, however, went past the far post and Boithang Haokip headed it towards the other post. Chhetri and Juanan, running in from the back, leapt to head the ball but neither called for it and let the opportunity get away.
The visitors had a similar chance in the 75th minute when Marcelinho from the right flank ran into the box and passed it to Isaac, in front of the net. The latter missed tapping the ball in.
The characteristic aggression of Bengaluru and their intent to dominate was missing on Wednesday night and Chhetri conceded as much. “The way we used to play wasn’t the same today,” he said, “But it’s because Pune is not an easy team to play against. And, it’s the semi-finals, so, you don’t want to make mistakes.”
In the second meeting, the pressure of being the favourites might weigh on the Blues but they will also be on their home turf, where they have lost only two of the nine games played there.
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