AFC Cup 2018: New Radiant SC vs Bengaluru FC - 5 Talking Points
The high-flying Bengaluru FC were brought down to earth by New Radiant SC, who earned a 2-0 win in Male, on Wednesday.
Bengaluru FC, who were coming on the back of a brilliant season, where they finished runners up int he Indian Super League, and as the champions in the inaugural edition of the Super Cup, were on a magnificent run in Asia as well, having won their first three AFC Cup matches.
However, their winning run was brought to an end by New Radiant SC, who have now posed a serious threat to Bengaluru FC's chances of qualifying for the knockout stages.
On that note, let's take a look at some of the key talking points from the match.
Sluggish start by Bengaluru FC
The Blues may have had a brilliant season so far, but this loss at the hands of New Radiant could put their entire Asian campaign in jeopardy.
While they were coming on the back of a 4-1 victory against East Bengal in the Super Cup final, they did not look like the same team that was facing the Maldivian club.
New Radiant had the onus from the start, and dominated the proceedings. The likes of Erik Paartalu and Lenny Rodrigues completely failed to take control of the midfield in this game, giving Oscar Bruzon’s side the upper hand from the first half itself.