ISL 2018-19: 5 Reasons why Bengaluru FC can win the title

#2 The best goalkeeper in the country

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will be a commanding presence between the sticks

Much has been said about Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's comments in the aftermath of last year's final, which were ill-worded and maybe even ill-timed. But on the footballing side, there is still little doubt that he is India's best between the sticks.

The big man had the joint most clean-sheets in the league last season (7), and ended the season with the third-most number of saves, making 46 saves in 19 games. He is someone who has added a lot of steel to Bengaluru at the back and is a leader at the back.

It is obvious while watching Bengaluru matches that Gurpreet is never silent, always ordering his defenders to get into the right positions. He is also a commanding presence against crosses into the box.

His 6' 6" frame allows him to grasp balls from thin air which other goalkeepers might not be able to do. As he showed against Jeje Lalpekhlua last season, he is not a mug when it comes to stopping penalties either.

Gurpreet is also the first line of attack for Bengaluru, with his perfectly timed punts forward for Chhetri working a treat for the Blues on multiple occasions last season.