Marco Pezzaiuoli praises team's character after hard-fought win

The win saw the Blues climb into the playoffs spots.

Bengaluru FC locked horns with Kerala Blasters at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in the Indian Super League on Sunday. The match saw the Blues emerging victorious, courtesy a solitary goal from a free-kick by Naorem Roshan Singh. The match was a scintillating one and perhaps, Marco Pezzaiuoli and his men could have scored more. This win takes Bengaluru FC up to the fourth position on the league table.

Here's what Bengaluru FC head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli had to say in the post-match press conference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPbQkbL0q7k

Idea to be clinical?

Bengaluru FC neither enjoyed more of the possession nor more shots than their opponents. When quizzed if the idea was to be clinical, the head coach quipped, “The idea was to win the game. This was clear.

"When we see the 90 minutes, we had the better chances to win the game. But, it was an eager game – a lot of fight in the middle third, lot of second balls. But, we needed to score earlier the second goal, to have more calm at the end of the game.”

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On Naorem Roshan Singh

Naorem Roshan Singh has been one of the sensational players in this edition of the ISL. He has already assisted a few times this season. Today, he scored directly from a brilliant free-kick.

When asked if the coach was confident of his free-kick abilities and was this something which was practiced in the training ground, Pezzauioli mentioned, “He did it well in the second half specially. He created one chance in the first half. Also, in the first half, he created a chance from the corner-kick for Prince Ibarra. Also, the dribbling – when he dribbled inside then Danish missed the ball. Was also good combination.

“He’s doing well. He’s training. He is still being normal. It is also very important. He knows he is not ready for everything. Yes, he needs to still improve as a young player. He’s trying to make it still small steps up and up,” further added the head coach.

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On Ivan Vukomanovic’s comment prior to the match

Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic mentioned prior to this fixture that Bengaluru FC deserve to be in the top four. After tonight’s win, BFC have shifted to the fourth spot.

When asked if after this result, he takes it as a compliment, the tactician asserted, “I think how we work, yes. We are doing well from the beginning of the season. Yes, there was a little bit of bad luck. We don’t think now about the position – number four. We think about this win. We enjoy the game. We enjoy these three points, which was important for us. Let’s enjoy tonight and from tomorrow focus on the next game.

“The next game is coming soon. Now, we have three games in seven days. I think that’s a big compliment on the team. You saw there fighting till the end. It’s not easy after having 12 days quarantine. When you see, one player (Alan Costa) came out at three o’clock of the quarantine to step inside because we didn’t have enough defenders in the end. Very big compliment,” added the head coach.

Mood in the dressing room going into the final month of the league stage

This win against Kerala Blasters was a crucial one, as it saw the Blues earning a place in the top four for the time being. When asked about the mood in the dressing room going into the final month of the league stage, Marco Pezzaiuoli stated, “It’s very good. When you are winning, there is fun, joy. You are getting more and more confidence.

"While you need to know the next game is coming and also respect the next opponent.  In the next game, you need to start it again from 0-0. Give 100% effort. That is very important. But specially, in the time in the bubble right now, when you win, it makes it a little bit more easier to enjoy a little bit of time. Yes, we go forward and have fun today.”

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