Bengaluru FC made their man advantage count as they came from behind to inflict a 3-1 defeat on FC Pune City at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on Thursday. Goals from Miku and skipper Sunil Chhetri secured maximum points for the Blues who now go three points clear at the top of the points table. Pune had Baljit Sahni sent off early in the second period following which the visitors netted thrice. Speaking to the media during the post-match press-conference was a satisfied Bengaluru FC coach, Albert Roca, who began by expressing his delight in winning what he admits was a tough encounter.

“For sure we are happy about this victory,” Roca said. “We knew it would be difficult today. Pune had a very good first half. They had put us in trouble and we could not play the game that we wanted because they played quite good. In the second half, we started better and after the red card, things had completely changed. We have a talented team and we took advantage of this situation.”

Bengaluru themselves were victims of a red-card incident (against FC Goa), and the Spaniard insisted that the beneficiary teams should be able to make their advantage count. “Sometimes we can profit from it (man advantage) and take advantage, and other times it can happen to us,” Roca explained. “What happened in Goa was a real shame, as we were punished so much. But today the red card changed things for us. But you need to know how to manage the situation, it is not easy.”

The Spaniard also spoke about the importance of fighting back from difficult situations. “What is important is to fight and to learn these things,” he stated. “I have told my goalkeeper to not make any errors today, but we are human beings. Every time we make mistakes. We made a tactical mistake when conceding the first goal. It happens, but we are trying to be better. Today the circumstances went against Pune.”