Bengaluru FC vs Odisha FC: 3 things we learned | ISL 2022-23
Continuing their winning form, Bengaluru FC registered a 3-1 victory over Odisha FC at the Shree Kanteerava Stadium in matchweek 15 of ISL 2022-23 on Saturday, January 14.
The Blues opened the scoring through Rohit Kumar in the 25th minute, while Roy Krishna doubled the lead three minutes later.
Right after the break, Diego Mauricio pulled one back from the penalty spot. But Simon Grayson's men showed great composure to see off the tie before Pablo Perez buried home the final in the coffin in the dying moments of the game.
We've waited a while to see this! ⚡️
#BFCOFC #WeAreBFC #NothingLikeIt https://t.co/AQXZ3RK0qq
On that note, let's take a look at three talking points from the match between Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC:
#1 Sivasakthi steadily sharpening up after being rewarded with constant starts
Simon Grayson has shown a lot of trust in Sivasakthi Narayan right from the Durand Cup days.
Although the young forward didn't feature much in the ISL initially, his performances off the bench made the gaffer take notice.
Another start for Sivasakthi, whose search for a first #HeroISL goal at the Fortress continues. Will tonight be the night? #BFCOFC #WeAreBFC https://t.co/KwWsdTBW87
The 22-year-old was handed a start against NorthEast United FC, and he repaid the faith by scoring the opening goal of the game.
Tonight, against Odisha, Siva yet again showed a similar flair. He was industrious with and without the ball and did brilliantly to set up Roy Krishna's goal.
If he can continue his goalscoring run, it would have solved much of Bengaluru FC's predicament in the attacking department.
#2 Bengaluru FC slowly finding rhythm with the business end of the season approaching
Victory against NorthEast United FC halted Bengaluru FC's winless run. Tonight, the Blues proved that the result against the Highlanders wasn't a one-off performance. Although Simon Grayson's team were cautious in the opening exchanges, they picked out their moments brilliantly.
The head coach has also earned his plaudits for backing youngsters in the team like Sivasakthi, Rohit Kumar, and Namgyal Bhutia.
With enough game time under their belt, these young guns can slowly transform into match winners. Luckily for the Blues, it's all coming together at the business end of the season. Will it be too little too late? Only time will tell.
#3 Odisha FC attacking woes reappearing
For the Juggernauts, their lack of depth in the attacking department has been a recurring problem. Except for Diego Mauricio, who's looked on-song for most of the season, Odisha FC have lacked quality attacking outlets.
Pedro Martin has gone absolutely quiet after his heroics against East Bengal earlier in the season. Victor Rodriguez hasn't featured consistently and off the bench, he just hasn't had the desired impact.
After their victory against the Red and Gold Brigade, it seemed like Odisha FC had buried their predicament in attack, but tonight reveals a different story.
Also Read: Bengaluru FC vs Odisha FC: Blues sweep past the Juggernauts to find rhythm late in ISL 2022-23