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Bengaluru FC and FC Goa played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, with three of those goals coming in the second half.
The hosts began the game positively and immediately stamped their authority on the encounter. FC Goa maintained possession for large stretches and kept hoping for an opening. However, the first real chance fell to Bengaluru FC and Cleiton Silva in the 27th minute, with the forward making no mistake.
Post the break, the Blues doubled their tally when the likes of Deshorn Brown and Erik Paartalu combined to lay the ball on a platter for Juanan to score. However, despite seemingly being in the ascendancy, Bengaluru FC were dented by a brace by Igor Angulo, with the Spaniard announcing himself to the ISL in style.
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Here is how the players fared at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda.
FC Goa
Mohammad Nawaz – 6.5
Mohammad Nawaz was largely a spectator as Bengaluru FC surged ahead with a pair of headed goals. Post that though, he pulled off a couple of decent saves, wherein he palmed the ball away from onrushing BFC players.
Seriton Fernandes – 6
Seriton Fernandes got forward quite a bit throughout the game, although he wasn’t really able to produce a significant pass or moment of brilliance. Defensively, he wasn’t tested as much as Sunil Chhetri was more subdued than usual.
James Donachie – 5.5
The Australian looked composed on the ball and wasn’t really harassed in possession by the Bengaluru FC forwards. However, one reckons he might not have been too happy with his performance, having gotten sucked towards the ball for both of the visitors’ goals.
Ivan Gonzales – 6
Ivan Gonzales looked the more assured of the two foreign central defenders and gave a good account of himself. He carried the ball forward on occasions and negated the threat of Kristian Opseth in the opening half.
Sanson Pereira – 4
The left-back was thrown into the deep end, with Saviour Gama suspended. He looked relatively calm on the ball but was guilty of switching off when Cleiton Silva headed Bengaluru FC ahead.
Lenny Rodrigues – 6
Lenny Rodrigues was his usual unassuming self against Bengaluru FC and kept the ball moving in midfield. He was sacrificed in the second half as FC Goa pressed for an equalizer, although he had emphasized his importance prior to it.
Edu Bedia – 6.5
Edu Bedia orchestrated everything FC Goa did in the attacking third of the pitch and opened up a few avenues with his precise passing. With him playing much deeper this season, FC Goa might just become more water-tight.
Seiminlen Doungel – 5
Seiminlen Doungel was tasked with manning the right flank and he didn’t particularly set the world ablaze. While he helped FC Goa tighten their press, he lacked ideas in possession and was also booked after a string of niggly fouls.
Princeton Rebello – 5.5
Princeton Rebello was handed a start ahead of Brandon Fernandes, meaning that he had huge boots to fill. He began the game well, pushing and probing for an opening. However, he failed to marry his endeavours with an end product and faded as the game progressed.
Jorge Mendoza Ortiz – 8
The Spaniard was a menace down the left wing throughout the contest and caused Bengaluru FC plenty of problems. His directness and close control drew plenty of fouls too, and he brought FC Goa back into the match with his sheer skill.
Igor Angulo – 7.5
The veteran striker seemed to be on the periphery against Bengaluru FC, especially for two-thirds of the game. However, like many penalty-box predators, he came to life when presented with chances and made the net bulge twice.
Bengaluru FC
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 6
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu displayed potent handling when called upon to deal with crosses and high balls. And, though he conceded a couple of goals, the keeper wasn’t really at fault for either of them.
Harmanjot Khabra – 5.5
Harmanjot Khabra enjoyed a solid opening 45 minutes and wasn’t really troubled as those around him marshalled the defence well. Yet, his decision to stay deeper than his teammates allowed Igor Angulo to latch onto Alberto Noguera’s through ball and half the deficit.
Fran Gonzalez – 6.5
The new recruit was a rock at the back for Bengaluru FC and won numerous aerial duels. Additionally, his passes in between the lines opened up a few promising situations for the Blues. However, he might have expected himself to follow Igor Angulo’s run for the second goal, better.
Juanan – 6.5
Much like his compatriot, Juanan was a towering presence at the heart of the defence and stuck to his task expertly. He also looked calm on the ball and bagged the Blues’ second goal.
Udanta Singh – 5
The Indian, after a sub-standard 2019-20 ISL season, was expected to hit the ground running in the 2020-21 term. However, he turned in another insipid display, with his decision-making in the attacking third remaining questionable. Udanta Singh needs to do much more to justify a starting berth for Bengaluru FC.
Ashique Kuruniyan – 5
Ashique Kurniyan was asked to deputize deeper on the left flank and he gave a decent account of himself throughout the game. He got the better of Seiminlen Doungel and got forward on a few occasions. However, in sync to most of last season, an end product deserted him.
Suresh Wangjam – 6
Suresh Wangjam put in another all-action display in the middle of the park. He bit into challenges, harried the FC Goa midfielders and also portrayed an eye for a forward pass, meaning that Bengaluru FC were able to beat the initial FC Goa press, at times. The Indian struggled a little as the match wore on and Brandon Fernandez and Alberto Noguera started asserting their dominance.
Erik Paartalu – 6
The Australian was slightly sluggish when in possession and was guilty of a few stray passes in the opening half. However, Erik Paartalu's physicality came in handy in the second period when he set up Juanan inside the box with an exceptional cushioned header.
Cleiton Silva – 6.5
The Brazilian was given the nod for the encounter against FC Goa and he repaid Carles Cuadrat’s faith with a clinical header in the first half. He also showcased a few neat touches in and around the penalty box and could morph into a crucial player for Bengaluru FC in the 2020-21 ISL season, especially considering his pedigree from set-pieces.
Sunil Chhetri – 5
Sunil Chhetri, rather uncharacteristically, just seemed to lack a bit of a cutting edge against FC Goa. Though he performed his defensive duties with aplomb, he was just found a little wanting at the opposite end of the pitch. And, when the ball dropped at the Bengaluru FC skipper's feet in the 43rd minute, he only managed to snatch at thin air.
Kristian Opseth – 5.5
The tall striker made a nuisance of himself for large chunks of the first half, although he didn’t really link up play as well as he would’ve hoped. Having said that though, he got the barest of flicks to tee up Cleiton Silva for the opening goal.
Substitutes
FC Goa
Brandon Fernandes – 6.5
Brandon Fernandes was brought into the fold in the second half as FC Goa rummaged for a brace of goals. And, he proved to be much more incisive than Princeton Rebello, with his pass through the lines enabling Alberto Noguera to slice through the Bengaluru FC defence for the equalizer.
Alberto Noguera – 7
The midfielder, much like Brandon Fernandes, showed more conviction in his actions and accorded FC Goa the thrust they craved as he set up Igor Angulo with a sumptuous through ball.
Alexander Jesuraj – 6.5
The youngster did have an impact towards the end of the game as he crossed beautifully for Igor Angulo to level the scores. And, one feels that he might improve further and have even better days through the course of the 2020-21 ISL season.
Aiban Dohling – 5.5
Aiban Dohling lined up alongside Ivan Gonzales for the final half an hour of the game and wasn’t troubled as Bengaluru FC’s attacking verve fizzled out. However, he did produce an important tackle in the 79th minute – one that prevented a goal-scoring opportunity.
Bengaluru FC
Deshorn Brown – 6
The Jamaican was brought on at half-time and made an immediate impact when he played a role in Bengaluru FC’s second goal. However, apart from that, there was very little for him to rave about.
Rahul Bheke – 5
Rahul Bheke was substituted for Udanta Singh but the former did very little to provide any sort of defensive solidity, with both goals coming after his arrival on the field of play.
Dimas Delgado – N/A
Dimas Delgado was tasked with shoring up Bengaluru FC’s midfield and he put himself about towards the end of the game, without making any telling contribution.
Pratik Chaudhari – N/A
Another panic substitution by Carles Cuadrat as Bengaluru FC tried to hold onto the point. In fact, Pratik Chaudhari came on too late to affect the game in any way.
