ISL 2019-20: NorthEast United 0-2 Bengaluru FC | 5 Talking Points 

Bengaluru FC bounced back in style from a 3-2 home loss to Mumbai City FC, with a workmanlike display to grind out a 2-0 win over NorthEast United in match 40 of the ISL 2019-20, at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.

A second-half penalty from captain Sunil Chhetri was followed up by a pin-point header from Albert Serran as the champions locked up the three points, and went away for a week's break from action, before they come back for a high-voltage top-of-the-table clash against ATK.

The result temporarily puts Bengaluru back on top of the ISL table, but both ATK and Goa could leapfrog the champions, if they win their respective games in hand against Hyderabad FC and Odisha FC this week.

Here are five major points to ponder from the match

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#1 NorthEast miss Gyan's presence

Asamoah Gyan could not be involved in this game, because of an injury that he picked up in the last game NorthEast played, against ATK. And the Ghanaian superstar's presence was sorely missed by Robert Jarni's men.

Martin Chaves led the line, but he could not outfox or outmuscle the experienced duo of Juanan Gonzalez and Albert Serran at the heart of the Bengaluru defence. Juanan, in particular, was a brick wall.

Chaves, unlike Gyan, is not someone who relies on power and strength. Instead, he tried clever flicks and attempted to use his pace to get past the Bengaluru defence, but Juanan was having none of it.

The door was slammed shut, and NorthEast were largely restricted to punts from long distance, and didn't hit the target very often, until a flurry of late shots from way out, by Panagiotis Triadis.

NorthEast would've hoped for Chaves to come into the hole between the Bengaluru centre-backs and Erik Paartalu, and then lay balls off for Redeem Tlang and Triadis, but he was forced into a personal duel with Juanan, one out of which he came out second best by a long distance.

In Gyan's presence, NorthEast could have had the Ghanaian occupy the two centre-halves, while the likes of Triadis and Lalthathanga Khawlhring could have got on the ball even more in the middle of the park.

#2 Bengaluru need to start games better

Erik Paartalu was sloppy in the early exchanges but recovered to end the night with an assist

In the first five minutes of the game, there were three separate occasions on which different Bengaluru players gave the ball away to an opposition attacker, when under no apparent pressure.

After almost creating a chance in the opening 30 seconds of the match, Bengaluru started to get sloppy, and that ensured they played the rest of the first half well within themselves.

Rahul Bheke started off the sloppiness with a lazy giveaway to Chaves, which he couldn't take advantage of. That was followed by Serran and Juanan playing aimless passes to put themselves under pressure.

It was also a pattern that made itself noticed for much of the first half. Stray passes from Bengaluru feet were all too common occurrences.

Erik Paartalu and Dimas Delgado were nowhere near their confident selves on the passes, with several diagonals either over-hit, or woefully off target.

Bengaluru's sloppiness and slow start was exemplified by Sunil Chhetri touching the ball only ten times in the opening 30 minutes, before he was moved out on to the left wing, from the central striker position.

After the break, Bengaluru looked a lot more accomplished, if not too threatening. They kept possession well, they were patient enough, and then when their chances came on the set-pieces, they made no mistake.

It is a sign of champion sides that they are able to grind out results when they aren't playing well but Bengaluru know that the sloppiness needs to be extinguished from their system. Their next three games are against the rest of the sides that currently sit in the playoff spots with them. So Carles Cuadrat and co. know that there is little room for error.

#3 Bengaluru remain the set-piece kings

Sunil Chhetri scored his fifth goal of the season

Carles Cuadrat loves his set-pieces. At this point, you don't really have to congratulate anyone who states that for making an astounding discovery. It is evident, the Bengaluru head coach has admitted he loves working set-pieces, and it shows with how good Bengaluru are from those situations.

Before this game, Bengaluru had score four of their eight goals from corners, and one penalty. They've now made it six set-piece goals out of the ten that they have scored, with two penalties.

But the extent of their threat was summed up in the build-up to both goals. NorthEast dealt with the first ball that Dimas Delgado sent in both times, yet Bengaluru were there, sniffing blood in the second phase.

On the first occasion, a couple of lucky deflections took the ball to Juanan on the edge of the area, and he simply lofted one that Redeem handled, and the referee made the right call in pointing to the spot. Chhetri doesn't really get rustled when he's faced by a goalkeeper 12 yards away from him, and he proved that with a calm low penalty, to put his side in the lead.

The second goal was a lot more scrappy, but it was again after a Dimas set-piece had been cleared. Chhetri had a miss kick on the edge of the area, Nishu Kumar scuffed a shot, but the ball fell to Erik Paartalu on the left wing, and the big Aussie delivered, with his wrong foot even, an inch-perfect cross for Serran to head past Subhashish Roy Chowdhury and claim his first ever goal for Bengaluru.

They're good enough from initial set-pieces to scare opponents, tonight Bengaluru showed that they could be just as lethal from the second phase as well.

#4 Cuadrat's tactical shifts work a treat

Cuadrat's tactical shifts resulted in Bengaluru shutting out the second half expertly

It took only 30 minutes for Bengaluru's head coach to play his first card. Off went Sunil Chhetri from the central striker position, and on to the left wing, a position he has made his home since his first day at Bengaluru.

Ashique Kuruniyan was summoned to play in the central striker's role, and it made sense, given the young man from Kerala would have good memories of playing that role during the AFC Asian Cup in the UAE in January.

All of a sudden, Bengaluru were beginning to threaten a lot more. Udanta Singh should have put them in the lead before the break, but somehow he contrived to miss a header from three yards out, striking the crossbar, instead of a calm header into an open net.

It was really the kind of chance only Udanta could miss, with his composure in the final third still leaving a lot to be desired. Ashique was carrying a knock into the half-time interval, and he didn't emerge for the restart, with his place taken by Semboi Haokip.

Semboi wasn't flashy, and didn't do anything spectacular, but the important thing was that his presence allowed Chhetri to occupy the left flank. The skipper has developed a nice understanding with Nishu Kumar, helps the young man out defensively, and is a lot more comfortable cutting in on his right foot, from the flank.

#5 Welcome back, Federico Gallego!

Federico Gallego made his first competitive appearance in more than nine months

Nine months and a week on since he was stretchered off and packed into an ambulance at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, NorthEast United's Uruguayan star Federico Gallego finally made his comeback to first-team action, as he came on to replace Jose David Leudo to help his team equalise.

The Uruguayan looked sharp, and the touch - that silken caress of the football - has not deserted him. He could've even won a penalty for his side, if he was not caught just a bit offside. He took a ball over the top in his stride, only to get flattened by Nishu, but he had begun his run a little too early.

NorthEast will be relieved to have their talisman back for a period that promises to be a season-defining one for the Highlanders. They still have work to do, if they are to make the top 4, and having the creativity of Gallego to compliment the likes of Gyan and Chaves could prove critical, in their eventual push to make the playoffs for a second successive year.