Bengaluru FC squandered a two-goal advantage against ATK FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday and had to settle for a 2-2 draw in their final Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2019-20 league phase match of the season. The Blues' head coach Carles Cuadrat fielded a very new-look side in the match, handing first starts of the season to as many as seven players on the night.

At the post-match press conference, Cuadrat stated that while the youngsters did make a few mistakes, they were largely very good through the 90 minutes. He said, “ATK’s second goal was a clear lapse of concentration from our part. But what can I ask to them, they are players with little experience. They are giving their best and they have been doing a wonderful job. It was an amazing game by the young guns. They had the opportunity to play and I think they made an impact.”

“They understood the concepts we were using. They understood what they had to do. And they worked for it. I am okay with the point. We were playing against players like (David) Williams, (Roy) Krishna, Edu Garcia. Top professionals with a lot of experience. So, I am very happy for them,” he added.

Looking ahead to the semi-finals, however, the Spaniard hinted that he wasn’t keen on experimenting too much with his preferred line-up. He commented, “You have to understand the responsibility you have when you are fighting for points and when you are fighting for a place in the final. It’s a different responsibility. So, we have to take decisions. In terms of injuries, we have to see how the team is. If you see the line-ups, I don’t tweak too much because I trust my players. They are the champions. I really trust in the players who have made the team champions.”

Lastly, the Bengaluru head coach lauded the performance of Dimas Delgado and how he supported the young players on the night. “He has been having a wonderful season. He has been managing the tempo of the team game after game. As a young player, it is a solution always to give the ball to Dimas,” he said.

Read the Match Report here.