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

#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.