Bengaluru must remain humble and work harder in semis, says coach Albert Roca
Bengaluru FC finished the league stage of the ISL with a 2-0 win over Kerala Blasters at the Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday night. Goals from Miku and Udanta Singh saw the Blues finish with 40 points from 18 games - a new record in the Indian Super League.
The Blues had a makeshift defence on the night with Erik Paartalu and Subhasish Bose playing in central defence in the absence of their regular centre-backs and Roca was happy with the way they performed to keep a clean sheet.
"Due to the yellow cards and match suspension for John [Johnson] and Juanan we had to do something that allowed us to have options to win," Roca explained. "It was good because I don't remember if Kerala had shots on target."
Roca's aim since the start of the season has been a top four finish. With top spot guaranteed even before they played their previous fixture, the Blues coach knows the business end of the season is now the most crucial - the semi-finals and a possible final.
Also read: Bengaluru FC could become first table-toppers to win ISL, says Kerala Blasters coach David James
"The playoffs are now the most difficult part of the season. The pressure is on us now. Now it's time to be humble and work a little more harder. This kind of win surely helps. Now it's time to wait to see who our opponents are in the semi-final.
"Playing in the ISL, we have finished first. But we need to have a little more ambition right now to win the final. So we'll try and do it with the right mentality."
Facing Goa or Jamshedpur will require different approaches: Roca
Having topped the table, Bengaluru could play either Jamshedpur FC or FC Goa in the semi-finals depending on which team qualifies. And Roca knows the approach will be different when the Blues face either side.
"They are two completely different teams. Goa has a lot of quality - they have the top scorer, the best assistance. With Jamshedpur it is all about fighting for the second ball...
"I think we have to be focused on us first. As soon as we know our opponent we'll study them quickly and decide how we approach that game."
Bengaluru became the first team to finish the league stage with more than an average of 2 points per game. The previous best table toppers were FC Goa in 2015 when they averaged 1.7 points per game.
"I'm happy for the record and happy to win so many games in the second half of the season. We worked as a team well and we would like to get better.
"The semi-finals are not going to be easy - it's going to be very hard two games and let's see if we are able to show the same level as we did until now."
Special praise for Chhetri's fitness from Roca
The Spanish coach also praised Sunil Chhetri's fitness with the Blues skipper having played all 18 games in the league stage. The 33-year-old received a standing ovation from both the home and away fans when he was substituted in the 81st minute.
"I'm happy for Sunil - he is a special player who has played more minutes in the season. It's important to give him minutes.
"He's a very competitive player who wants to play. Today he did well - even though it's not always possible to score."