Bengaluru FC defeated Sudeva Delhi FC 2-1 to positively finish their campaign in the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup at the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. The Blues scored a goal in either half courtesy some impeccable playmaking by attacking midfielder Amay Morajkar.

There was not much to separate the two sides for the better part of the first-half. However, the Blues began seeing much more of the ball as they settled into the proceedings. They increased the ante of their attacking moves and bore the fruit of the same with a sensational strike from the left flank by Monirul Molla at the brink of the half-time whistle to get Bengaluru ahead in the game.

Morajkar had neatly set up this move just prior to the goal. He interlinked incredibly with his fellow midfielders and took on a couple of Sudeva players before launching a powerful strike from outside the box. The shot was on target but was saved cleanly by Sudeva goalkeeper Ashish Sibi, who started ahead of their mainstay Sachin Jha today.

15 minutes into the second-half, Morajkar continued initiating some incisive offensive moves for the Blues. He distributed the ball well to the flanks, which helped Bengaluru stretch the Sudeva defence. The midfielder then capitalised on the open spaces in the middle by engaging in some quick one-two passes with his forwards. Bekey Oram from Bengaluru pressed high to recover the possession and the team immediately broke into an attack that culminated with Morajkar putting the ball into the back of the net.

Sudeva, however, sustained their efforts right until the very last minute of the game. They pressed collectively to win the ball back in the midfield even during the added time. This helped them launch a counter-attack in the 73rd minute, which was accurately finished off by substitute Ramesh Chhetri. The team from the national capital can walk back with their heads held high in confidence after an inspiring run in the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) followed by a learning experience in the Reliance Foundation presents Premier League Next Generation Cup.

“I respect their performance. The boys have been playing back-to-back and they have been really cooperating with me. They have a great future so definitely we will see them playing in a lot of games. Thanks to the Reliance Foundation for giving them this opportunity. They should keep this tournament alive so that the boys can get a lot of game time as it contributes a lot to the improvement of young footballers in India,” Sudeva coach Chencho Dorji reflected on the importance of the tournament in the aftermath of the game.

“I am very happy. The important thing is that the team is also happy. Finishing on a good note is the most important part,” Bengaluru coach Kaizad Ambapardiwalla mentioned. He added, “We have been continuously playing back-to-back matches for two months now. There was a lot to learn for the players. We are happy that we got to play in these games and it will be good in the future also if we get more matches, which will be very helpful for the Indian kids.”

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Bengaluru FC Match Report