Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 20 : Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza praised his captain, Sunil Chhetri, who made a significant impact off the bench by scoring a brace in their 3-0 victory over Hyderabad FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Chhetri's goals, combined with an early strike from Rahul Bheke, ensured the Blues secured their second consecutive win of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season.
Bheke gave the home side an early lead with a composed side-foot finish from a Vinith Venkatesh corner inside the opening five minutes. Hyderabad FC had a chance to respond shortly after, but Devendra Murgaokar's effort narrowly missed the target, sailing just over the crossbar. This was the closest the visitors came to troubling Bengaluru FC's defence as the home side dominated the match.
Chhetri extended Bengaluru FC's lead with a penalty in the 85th minute and sealed the victory with a brilliant diving header in stoppage time.
"Another win, three more points, and a clean sheet. We need to be happy because, at least for today, we're at the top of the table," Zaragoza stated in the post-match press conference as quoted by ISL.
"Hyderabad FC played a really good game. Last season, they came here as well, and they had zero pressure. Under Thangboi Singto, these boys are doing a great job. A lot of teams are going to struggle against them, just like last season," the Spaniard opined.
Chhetri and Aleksandar Jovanovic, both starters in the first game against East Bengal FC, came on as substitutes and made a significant impact.
In addition to Chhetri's double, Jovanovic added much-needed solidity in defence, helping the Blues secure their second consecutive clean sheet for the first time since March 2023.
"It's 100% important to have a bench that can change the game. As a coach, it's perfect. The game lasts 90 minutes, and we need players who can play 90 minutes as well as players who can come off the bench and make an impact," Zaragoza stated.
With his two goals tonight, Chhetri has now become the joint-highest scorer in the ISL with 63 goals, tied with Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Zaragoza highlighted Chhetri's relentless drive and commitment to the game, even at this stage of his career.
"He wants to win all and he wants to play every minute. He pushes me a lot to put him on the pitch, both in training and in games. But as you saw (today), he had 30 minutes and scored two goals. This is Sunil Chhetri, and this is what I expect from him this season to be the top Indian scorer again," the head coach said.
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