ISL 2022-23: Bengaluru FC fans overjoyed after Javi Hernandez brace ends winless run as FC Goa falter

By Team Newsable | First Published Nov 26, 2022, 9:52 PM IST

A Javi Hernandez brace ended Bengaluru FC’s five-match winless and four-match goalless run as they picked up a 2-0 win against FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday.

Bengaluru FC defeated FC Goa 2-0 on Saturday in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, snapping a five-match losing streak and a four-match goalless streak. As they handed the Gaurs their first home loss of the year, the Blues also recorded their first clean sheet since the start of the campaign.

.’s celebration was a message through the cameras for his little daughter Alejandra, watching from back home in Spain. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/NmLgfvCKwI

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc)

Both teams made a few adjustments to their starting lineups. Edu Bedia, a midfielder for FC Goa, was forced to watch from the sidelines as Princeton Rebello started in his stead. Redeem Tlang was benched in favour of Noah Wail Sadaoui, the other alteration the hosts made. Bengaluru FC benched Alan Costa and Bruno Silva in favour of Aleksandar Jovanovic and Prabir Das, who started the match.

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FC Goa surged forward in the first few minutes with the help of Alvaro Vazquez, who dashed into the box and fired from a tight angle. Despite having his near post covered, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu could gather the on-target shot comfortably.

In the 27th minute, Javi Hernandez scored Bengaluru FC's first goal, breaking the scoreless tie. The Blues' first goal since Matchweek 2 came when Hernandez calmly slid the ball past Dheeraj Singh after Roy Krishna had stopped Hernandez as he brought the ball out of defence.

Clean sheet, two goals, three points. 🔥
We move onto the next one, Bengaluru! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/6AbSWwdkQW

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc)

Gurpreet stretched out fully to divert Vazquez's free kick in the 37th minute. In first-half stoppage time, Krishna was taken out at the other end by Dheeraj, who sprinted out of the box and toward the right side. Only a yellow card was sent to the FC Goa goalkeeper for the Fijian striker's foul.

FC Goa got off to a fast start in the second half. Bengaluru FC, though, increased their lead in the 57th minute. The Blues broke on the break with Udanta Singh, who dinked it through to Hernandez, while the Gaurs pushed forward. The Spaniard calmly placed the ball into an open net after entering the box and manoeuvring around the goalkeeper.

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Krishna attempted to chip a long ball over the goalkeeper with ten minutes left to play. The ball narrowly missed the far post after sailing over the goalkeeper. The following minute, Ali blasted a shot from the other end of the field toward the top-left corner of the net. With his fingertips, Gurpreet Singh quickly stopped, sending the ball behind him for a corner.

Following the loss, Bengaluru FC climbs from tenth to eighth place, three points behind Chennaiyin FC, while FC Goa drops from fourth to fourth place, three points behind Odisha FC in third. The Gaurs' subsequent game will occur on December 1 at Mumbai City FC. Bengaluru FC will return home on December 3 to face ATK Mohun Bagan FC.

Always thankful for your unrelenting support. 🔵 pic.twitter.com/ESkxLZf11x

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc)

Key Stats:
- Javi Hernandez had 2 shots on target, and both of them landed in the back of the net
- Anwar Ali completed 84/99 passes in the game and also attempted 2 shots
- Gurpreet Singh Sandhu faced 6 shots at goal and produced 6 saves

Bengaluru FC fans took to Twitter to express their joy over the team's show against FC Goa. Here's a look at some of the reactions:

How quick we've achieved this tells who we are https://t.co/CHbWqhHhmB

— GG17 (@GaganGrites)

Each one has a story to tell. To many more 💙 https://t.co/jONpWFGzDk

— West Block Blues - Bengaluru FC (@WestBlockBlues)

Happiness 🙂💙 pic.twitter.com/2dy3gzDqoN

— Akhil (@Akhil_SC11)

Finally! https://t.co/fNWuDJICM7

— Abhay (@RedDevilAbhay18)

A win after a string of defeats. A convincing win. https://t.co/pfL3u8omWc

— Nishant Ratnakar (@nishantr)

We did it 💙🔥 https://t.co/oGnAa2Cm2d