ISL 2018-19: FC Pune City 0-3 Bengaluru FC - Hits and Flops of the match

Bengaluru FC thumped FC Pune City by 3-0 in their first away match of Indian Super League season 5 at Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune on Monday. With this win, Bengaluru climbed to the top of the table with seven points from three matches.

Bengaluru were the better team right from the start as they tried to make most of their opportunities count. Captain Sunil Chhetri got a brace in the first half and Miku got the third goal midway through the second half. On the other hand, Pune City produced another dismal performance, in their first game at home amid huge support from their fans. Pune remained on ninth at the league table with just one point.

Chhetri, who was quiet in the first half an hour, put his team ahead with a superb goal in the 41st minute. He got his second a couple of minutes later, thanks to a superb assist from Miku. The Venezuelan got his second goal of this edition when Albert Serran found him on the edge of the box. Miku received the ball very well and took a shot with his right foot, which ended up bulging the bottom left corner of the goal.

With another disastrous performance, pressure is mounting on Pune and their coach Miguel Angel Portugal. The last year’s semi-finalists, despite having some attractive names in their team, have failed to shine so far.

Let’s find out who are the hits and flops of this match:

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#5 Hit: Marcelinho

Marcelinho (right) toiled hard but wasn't rewarded for his efforts [Image: ISL]

The Brazilian was suspended in the first match of the season. He was introduced in the second half of their next match against Mumbai City FC but failed to make any impact. Portugal included him in the starting line-up against Bengaluru. Though he couldn’t score, he looked the only man on the field for Pune, who had an appetite for success.

Marcelinho is a useful striker, given his track record. He scored eight goals last season and helped Pune to reach semi-finals for the first time. On his first start, he was deployed behind Emiliano Alfaro. So his main role was to create chances and feed as much ball as he can to the main striker.

Marcelinho did that well, only to see his work go in vain. He tried to help the midfield, got some interceptions and even a few shots, but nothing went right for his team. Still, the chances he created and the hard work he put in the field makes him a successful player on the field, albeit in a losing cause.

#4 Flop: Martin Diaz

Martin Diaz (left) is left complaining as Sunil Chhetri celebrates his goal [Image: ISL]

For a major part of the game, it was not clear whether there was any central defender on the field for Pune City. Martin Diaz has probably put his worst performance on the night, when Bengaluru FC players toyed with the Pune defenders, scoring goals at will.

Diaz should be responsible for many of them. He had the task of blocking Miku and not allowing him any position. He failed miserably. Moreover, he had no understanding with another central defender Matt Mills. Often we see in football that central defenders play a vital role by shouting to others to take their position. But there was no communication between both the centre-backs and the midfielders and Bengaluru players used that with care.

Portugal was so frustrated and he withdrew Diaz in 55th minute, putting Sahil Panwar on the central defence position but that didn’t help the cause as MIku beat him quite comfortably to score Bengaluru’s third goal.

#3 Hit: Miku

Miku was clinical on the night [Image: ISL]

What can you say about this man? Probably the best striker of ISL, Miku is already a superstar. Come every match, and he will score a goal or provide an assist, or will do both, just like he did on Monday.

Miku has a deep connection with Sunil Chhetri. Both of them know where the other player is, without a look. Miku and Chhetri both complement each other well. Miku is famous for his positioning and always tried to avoid his marker. Even if he is marked, he can provide assists.

Take the example of Chhetri’s second goal. When Miku got the ball, he was heavily marked by Sahil Panwar, Matt Mills and Martin Diaz. Still, he got the markers on the wrong foot and provided a beautiful assist to Chhetri, who was standing on the other side. Even Chhetri pointed towards Miku and praised him after scoring the goal.

Miku got his name on the score sheet quite fashionably. He was again marked by Panwar when Albert Serran crossed to him. It took a chest trap and a right-footed shot for Miku to score the goal, leaving Panwar bamboozled.

#2 Flop: Emiliano Alfaro

Emiliano Alfaro (first from right) was largely ineffective throughout the game [Image: ISL]

What happened to Emiliano Alfaro? The question was reverberating after the match. Of course he is one among the top players that ISL has seen - a prolific striker, who never misses a chance to score. But on Monday, we witnessed something different.

He was caught on the offside trap time and again. A striker with six offsides is not something that one would expect for. Being the main striker of the team, Alfaro took only one shot and that too went off target. Albert Serran and Juanan did not allow much space to the Uruguayan.

One of the reasons behind Pune’s success last season was definitely the Alfaro-Marcelinho combination. But it was said that Alfaro fails to deliver when it comes to big teams. Against one of the strongest sides in Bengaluru, Alfaro again failed to inspire.

Something needs to change for Pune. And for that, Alfaro has to score. He may not get as tough a defence as Bengaluru in the future. But in this kind of tournament, it will not be a cakewalk for him.

#1 Hit: Sunil Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri scored a well-deserved brace [Image: ISL]

It seems Sunil Chhetri loves to score against Pune.

In last year’s semi-final, Chhetri scored a fabulous hat-trick against Pune to put his team in the final. On Monday, he scored a brace and could’ve scored one more had his free-kick not been denied by the post.

Chhetri was not on usual form in the first half an hour and even missed a few goal scoring opportunities. But it takes time to adjust to the game. Chhetri showed why he is the best when he beat the offside trap to receive Dimas Delgado’s chip, superbly avoided his marker Sarthak Golui to put the ball past Vishal Kaith.

He got another from Miku’s pass and this time he was left completely unmarked on the left side. When you leave a person such as Chhetri unmarked, you know what’s going to happen. Chhetri doubled the lead quite easily.

He took a free-kick in injury time from just outside the box and it could’ve landed into the back of the net, but Kaith got a fingertip on the ball and it thudded on to the post. He was deservedly awarded the Hero of the Match and promised there’s more to come.