ISL 2023-24: Simon Grayson praises Bengaluru FC's defensive progress after goalless draw against FC Goa

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Oct 26, 2023, 10:55 AM IST

Bengaluru FC's head coach Simon Grayson reflects on their first clean sheet of the ISL 2023-24 season and a goalless draw against FC Goa, emphasising improvements in defense and possession control.

Bengaluru FC's head coach, Simon Grayson, expressed his satisfaction with his team's first clean sheet of the season following a goalless draw against FC Goa at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

In the early stages of the game, FC Goa displayed a strong performance and posed a significant threat with their counterattacks. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Bengaluru FC's goalkeeper, made a couple of outstanding saves to keep his team in the match. However, neither side managed to break the deadlock, resulting in a goalless draw after 90 minutes.

It ends goalless at the Kanteerava. pic.twitter.com/GhQvJILiiy

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc)

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During the post-match press conference, Grayson provided a detailed analysis of the game. "In the first half, FC Goa were the better team. We gave them too much space to play, and our goalkeeper made some good saves, but that's what he is paid to do. In the second half, there were no gaps for them to play. We didn't make it as easy for them when they had possession of the ball, and we looked much better and stronger side in the second half than we did in the first half," Grayson said to the media after the game.

"They were the better team in the first half, and we were the better team in the second half. So, I think it is a fair result," he added.

Grayson had made defensive changes to the lineup from the previous game, and he expressed his satisfaction with the progress. He praised his team's defensive performance and emphasised the importance of maintaining a solid defense, particularly considering FC Goa's counter-attacking threats.

ನೀನೆ ರಾಜಕುಮಾರ! 👑 🟡🔴 pic.twitter.com/1atA11dLKc

— Bengaluru FC (@bengalurufc)

"In the first half, we had more possession than FC Goa, but that was primarily in our defensive half. In the second half, we had a lot of possession in the middle third and at the top end of the pitch," said the Englishman.

"We were still aware of how FC Goa could threaten us with counter-attacks, so we had to focus on our defence. So, the clean sheet was good," Grayson commented.

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