RoundGlass Punjab FC 0-2 Bengaluru FC: Blues player ratings from hard-fought win | Hero Super Cup 2023
Bengaluru FC got their first win of the Hero Super Cup 2023 by beating RoundGlass Punjab FC 2-0 at the EMS Stadium in Kozhikode on Wednesday, April 12.
The ISL 2022-23 runners-up struggled to create openings for much of the first half. Rohit Kumar's effort that came off the crossbar was their only real chance in the opening 40 minutes. However, they received two good opportunities towards the end of the half.
Excellent pressure from Sunil Chhetri helped him slip in Sivasakthi Narayanan, but the masked youngster hit his shot straight at the goalkeeper. The rebound came to Chhetri, who then set up Rohit, but the midfielder scuffed his effort wide of the goal.
Bengaluru continued to apply pressure in the second half and got their reward in the 66th minute. Udanta Singh nodded the ball home after Pablo Perez's initial header was saved by RoundGlass Punjab goalkeeper Kiran Chemjong.
The Warriors' hopes of a comeback hit a wall when defender Naocha Huidrom Singh was sent off for a second bookable offense. They then conceded a penalty deep into stoppage time and Javi Hernandez scored from the spot with the final kick of the game to secure the victory.
Here are the player ratings for Bengaluru FC from their Hero Super Cup 2023 clash against RoundGlass Punjab FC:
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu - 6.5/10
Sandhu had very little to do for most of the game, but made a couple of straightforward saves from Juan Mera and Luka Majcen.
Naorem Roshan Singh - 6/10
Roshan Singh's corner led to Bengaluru FC's opener on the night. He did not trouble RoundGlass Punjab enough with his deliveries, however, though he endured a solid outing defensively.
Parag Shrivas - 5.5/10
Shrivas made a couple of rookie errors in the opening 10 minutes before settling into his role. However, he was still sacrificed at half-time.
Sandesh Jhingan - 7.5/10
Jhingan was part of a physical battle with Luka Majcen throughout the game and kept the forward quiet for large swathes of the contest. He stuffed the stat sheet with plenty of clearances in another solid outing, carrying on from where he left off in the ISL.
Bruno Ramires - 7/10
Ramires was largely composed on the ball, though his touch let him down on a couple of occasions.
Namgyal Bhutia - 6.5/10
Bhutia didn't get on the ball enough in the first half, but improved once Udanta Singh came on. His most telling contribution in the game was a lung-bursting run on the counter that led to Naocha Huidrom Singh committing a foul and receiving his second yellow card.
Rohit Kumar - 6/10
Rohit hit the crossbar with a stunning effort in the first half, but then missed a sitter moments before half-time. He helped Bengaluru recycle possession and kept the team ticking with his energy.
Suresh Wangjam - 7.5/10
Wangjam was excellent for the Blues in the center of the park, as he has been since the start of 2023. The midfielder won the ball at will and constantly pushed his side forward with some excellent short passes.
Javi Hernandez - 7/10
Hernandez didn't have the greatest of games, with RoundGlass Punjab limiting his impact on the game. However, he got on the scoresheet with the very last kick of the game, scoring from the penalty spot after winning the spot-kick.
Sivasakthi Narayanan - 5/10
Sivasakthi missed Bengaluru's best chance of the first half and looked a little off the pace during his time on the pitch before being substituted at half-time.
Sunil Chhetri - 6/10
Chhetri could've had two assists on the same play towards the end of the first half after a largely ineffective opening 45 minutes. He was a little more involved in the second half, but RoundGlass Punjab dealt with him well throughout.
Substitutes
Udanta Singh (Shrivas 46') - 7/10
Udanta offered pace and directness to Bengaluru's attack, linking up well with Roy Krishna on numerous occasions. He scored the opener and played his part in the second goal, but was also extremely wasteful with his finishing and crossing.
Roy Krishna (Sivasakthi 46') - 7/10
Krishna was excellent alongside Udanta in attack, often slipping both wingers through. His first touch let him down on multiple occasions, but Bengaluru will not mind as he did his job well for the most part.
Jayesh Rane (Rohit 58') - 6.5/10
Rane added some bite to the midfield and helped initiate moves for the Blues, though he also lost the ball on a few occasions.
Pablo Perez (Chhetri 58') - 7.5/10
Perez's composure and passing ability were vital for Simon Grayson's side in this game. He played his part in the opening goal as well, with Udanta converting after his header was saved.
Prabir Das (Bhutia 82') - 5.5/10
Prabir made errors in defense and attack, but was also a decent outlet for Bengaluru on the right flank.