ISL 2022-23: Bengaluru FC's coach Grayson delighted with first-ever win over ATK Mohun Bagan

Simon Grayson, the head coach of Bengaluru FC, was thrilled with his team's performance as the Blues defeated ATK Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the most recent Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 match on Sunday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.

ATK Mohun Bagan had a fair amount of control over the ball in the first half as both teams entered halftime with respectable opportunities. In stoppage time, Roy Krishna scored after Javi Hernandez had broken the scoreless tie in the 78th minute. Dimitri Petratos scored a consolation goal for Juan Ferrando's team in the final seconds.

After a five-game winning streak, Bengaluru FC defeated ATK Mohun Bagan to earn their first-ever triumph and a position in the playoffs. Grayson clarified how the team's strong second half contributed to their three-point victory.

"We had plenty of attempts on goal but not enough to work the goalkeepers. At half-time, I mentioned to the players that we were very good in possession. I thought our shape was very good. We limited some really good attacking players to very few opportunities. But on the reverse of it, we needed to be better in possession. We had to get the balance right to keep control of the ball better, which would allow us to get more opportunities and we certainly did that in the second half and we looked a threat every time we went forward in the second half," Grayson said in the official post-match press conference.

With only three games remaining in the season, the Blues have improved at this crucial moment. According to Grayson, the team has turned things around, and it is now important to maintain their composure and continue their preparation.

"Even when we were losing some games early on in the season, we weren't playing too badly. We were making mistakes defensively and getting punished for them. And when we did get opportunities to score goals, we didn't take them opportunities. What we did was we kept having the belief and kept working hard in training and confidence plays a big part in that all of a sudden you get a result and then your confidence gets better and bigger. And then we come to where we are now with five games that we've won on the trot. We've got to make sure that we stay humble and we make sure that we keep preparing and working even harder because football is a difficult sport to keep continuing with success and we're pleased with how things have gone," Grayson said.

Bengaluru FC's five-game winning streak propelled them from eighth to sixth place in the Hero ISL standings. Odisha FC has dropped to seventh place thanks to the Blues. Grayson thinks that the team they have now is the best one they've had all season and that a combination of foreign players and a solid bench will serve as the foundation for their late-season drive for the playoffs.

"That's the fifth game on the trot that we've picked the same team tonight has probably been the strongest team that we've had out all season. It's the first time all season we've had six foreigners available through injury all the time. So it just shows that we are getting players back from injury. And again other people when they get chances they have to take them. Siva was the same, he was in and out of the team and he took his opportunity. We've got a strong bench Pablo (Perez),  Sunil (Chettri), you tender these are good players. We've got some very strong players that can look around and change again whenever we need to," The Blues head coach stated.

The Blues' next game is against Kerala Blasters FC, and it promises to be a dramatic one because both teams have some of the most devoted fans in the league. The matchup between Bengaluru FC and KBFC is anticipated to be exciting, and the blues want to win after the Yellow Army prevailed in the reverse matchup in December, according to the head coach of Bengaluru FC.

"Well, we've seen a small nucleus of BFC fans that have been there with us all the way and now we go back tomorrow with our recovery session, ready for a massive game regardless of where both teams are in the division and this is always a massive game against Kerala, it will be nearly a sellout. The extra spaces now that we're in the playoffs. We're in a good position. They're trying to maintain a place in the playoffs. It should be a fantastic spectacle. Let's hope that we come out on top because they beat us in the first game, let's hope that we turn them over and then we play Mumbai City FC and FC Goa in the last two again so we want our fans to have something to cheer about," Grayson added.

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• Bengaluru FC
• ATK Mohun Bagan
• ISL 2022-23
• Indian Super League
• Football