Bengaluru eye another win over Delhi

Bengaluru FC has put up a stellar show in their debut season in Indian Super League (ISL). The table-toppers will be looking to consolidate their position when they take on Delhi Dynamos in the return leg here on Sunday.

Dynamos had run into Albert Roca's Bengaluru FC in only their second outing in November and were handed a 4-1 hammering. Dynamos' campaign has taken a nosedive since, the franchise suffering six defeats in the next seven matches. They now sit at the bottom of the table with four points from nine matches, with their only win coming against FC Pune City in the opening match.

The Bengaluru side,  in contrast, has only gained in reputation. With six wins and three defeats, they are dominating the league with 18 points. Significantly, the visitors are coming here with two back-to-back wins over ATK and Kerala Blasters. Coach Roca, however, is not the one to take any opposition lightly.

"I have a lot of respect for their (Dynamos) coach (Miguel Angel) Portugal. They have been playing good football but they have been unlucky at the same time," he said.

The fact that BFC's top players like Sunil Chettri are in good form has only helped the side. "We have some of the best players in the country. We have the captain of the national team but you still have to make a team out of it. So we have to keep learning and improving especially tomorrow to get the right result," said Roca.

Dynamos have struggled at both ends of the pitch this season. However, with still five more home games to go, they still have a chance to post a decent finish this season.

Coach Portugal backed his players. "For us now this match is like a final. We deserved more from the game. We played good in the previous game against Kerala Blasters but Kerala took their chances and the game ended 3-1," he said.

"I have almost the same team for the next game. I think my players have executed the plans well."