ISL 2021-22: It's essential for Bengaluru to still be in the race - Marco Pezzaiuoli on Odisha win

It was a competitive yet successful outing for former champion Bengaluru FC (BFC) in Game 97 of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2021-22 against Odisha FC (OFC). On Monday, BFC played at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim (Goa) and edged past 2-1, rising to the fifth spot and staying in the semis race. In the meantime, BFC head coach Marco Pezzaiuoli has acknowledged that it is essential to be in the race.

After the victory, Pezzaiuoli stated that the players he possesses in the BFC squad are all first-choice players, and he was impressed with their performance during the training sessions. He also admitted that he protects the players from injuries and does not force them to play for more than 30 minutes after three days. He was also happy to have Sarthak Golui back and was impressed with his performance, who lost his father recently.

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"Sometimes we were unlucky and that you see after the season, but I think let's enjoy the win today. 2-1, great goals, great penalty situation for Udanta, winning the ball in a critical situation. The pressing was great. In the second half, we won the ball out of an urgent situation, and also, I think, normally, the foul on Udanta must be a red card. It was apparent he was not going on the ball. It's not the only foul. It was more than a foul; it was killing the legs. And, that was not nice. And, I think there must be a different decision from the referee," said Pezzaiuoli during the post-match press conference.