AFC Cup quarter-finals: Bengaluru FC 1-0 Tampines Rovers - 5 Talking Points

CK Vineeth scored the all-important goal to give Bengaluru the tie going into the second leg

A 7th-minute strike from CK Vineeth turned out to be the winner in the end as Albert Roca began his stint as Bengaluru FC manager on a positive note. The I-League champions controlled the proceedings for most parts of the game and will be bitterly disappointed not to take an even larger lead into the second leg of the tie after creating chances aplenty as they lacked precision in the final third.

Here are the 5 biggest talking points from the game:

Bengaluru buys into Albert Roca’s philosophy with ease

Albert Roca was in an unenviable position heading into the game. The reigning I-League champions had last played a game three and a half months back and went into a game against a team who are in the thick of the action in the S-League. Roca was counting on the nucleus of the team which was still there to carry them through and they repaid the Spaniard in tremendous fashion

The Spaniard had big shoes to fill. Ashley Westwood had etched a special place for himself in the hearts of the Bengaluru FC fans after leading them to 3 major trophies in his three years at the helm. But the style of play is a stark contrast to the one Westwood employed for the Bangalore outfit. Thus, it was a tricky challenge for all involved in the Bengaluru FC team to put in a concerted team effort.

And by the final whistle, the answers were all in the positive. The football was sumptuous especially in the middle as Alvaro Rubio and Cameron Watson seemed in sync with their Indian counterparts to gift the Indian champions a much-deserved victory.