Encouraged by their passionate fans, the Gaurs made a strong start to the game, generating several scoring opportunities in the opening quarter. Dejan Drazic and rising star Ayush Dev Chhetri kept the Bengaluru FC defenders on their toes with their elusive dribbling skills. Despite their best efforts, their shots failed to test the Blues' goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, lacking the power and precision needed to break the deadlock.
Another player who was up for challenges on his return from injury was Sandesh Jhingan. The experienced defender went toe-to-toe with Edgar Mendez, winning the majority of the duels in the first period. He brought back the physicality that this FC Goa side missed in his absence.
Despite the chances, the hosts returned to their dressing room at half-time, empty-handed. The Gaurs showed great urgency but majorly lacked the final product to hurt the Bengaluru FC backline.
The second period started in a similar fashion with Marquez’s men controlling the tempo of the game and making meaningful penetrations into the final third. Bengaluru FC tactician Gerard Zaragoza did try to disrupt the momentum in midfield by introducing Suresh Singh Wangjam at the start of the second half, but the Gaurs kept dominating possession.
Despite several trials and errors, the hosts finally took the lead in the 63rd minute courtesy of their talisman Armando Sadiku. It was Mohammad Yasir, who pickpocketed Pedro Capo and ran at the Bengaluru FC backline before finding Sadiku in the box with a brilliantly-weighted cross. The Albanian made no mistake in finding the back of the net from close range.
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In the 71st minute, Marquez decided to freshen things up as he brought on Brison Fernandes, replacing Yasir and the youngster made an instant impact. Sadiku’s energetic press allowed him to pickpocket a ball from Gurpreet. The forward passed it back to Brison, who came up with a sensational long-range strike from the right, catching Rahul Bheke and the entire Blues backline off-guard as the Gaurs doubled their lead.
FC Goa kept pushing as Manolo turned to Iker Guarrotxena in the 79th minute. The Spaniard showed his class when he combined with Dejan Drazic as the latter scored the third goal for the hosts in stoppage time to seal their second win of the season. Bengaluru FC had their chances but it was certainly not their night.