ISL 2019-20: Bengaluru FC 1:0 Kerala Blasters | 5 Hits and Flops as defending champions win Southern derby
Indian Super League (ISL) resumed after the international break with an exciting contest between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. Sunil Chhetri scored in the 55th minute to bring an evenly poised game in favour of the hosts.
The Southern derby had its fair share of action as both the teams came close to goal regularly right from the start. However, the scoreline remained nil at the end of the first half. Carles Cuadrat's mid-break talks turned vital as the reigning champions walked back onto the pitch with more confidence. The back-to-back attacks finally found result as Chhetri found the net with a diving header from Dimas Delgado's corner.
Though Kerala Blasters worked tirelessly to equalise, they lacked the final touch in the attacking third. Eelco Schattorie's tactics of fielding two strikers didn't get him the desired result.
With the victory, Bengaluru FC climb to the second position on the points table. Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters remain at the seventh spot with four points from five games.
Here, we look at the hits and flops from Bengaluru FC's 1-0 win over Kerala Blasters.
#Hit - Raphael Augusto
Raphael Augusto, was, without a doubt, BFC's best player on the pitch against Blasters. The midfielder had a silent role on the pitch but was the man behind most of Bengaluru's vital moves. Augusto kept setting up his teammates with chipping balls and defence-splitting passes.
The Brazilian offered Sunil Chhetri a defence-splitting pass in the first half which could have taken the hosts into the lead. In the 36th minute, Augusto was in the limelight as he beat Kerala custodian TP Rehenesh to feed Albert Serran. He also came close to goal in the 74th minute, but couldn't get past the keeper.
Raphael Augusto had a good contribution in the defence too. He managed to break the flow of play when Blasters aimed at growing with possession. Augusto finished the game with 3 tackles in addition to 38 passes at an accuracy of 63%.
The former Chennaiyin FC player has perfectly adapted into Carles Cuadrat's system at BFC. He was the playmaker for the Blues and overcame the opposition midfield with ease.