Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza heaped praise on matchwinner Sunil Chhetri as his late brace helped the Blues come from behind to clinch all three points against Mohammedan SC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Wednesday.

The veteran striker scored from the spot kick in the 82nd minute to draw his team level before stealing the points with the winner in the ninth minute of stoppage time and sending Bengaluru FC three points clear at the top of the table.

The Spaniard expressed delight at the impact that the 40-year-old made on the game.

“I am very happy for Sunil Chhetri,” Zaragoza said at the post-match press conference.

“He puts this winning mentality in every single training and every single exercise. He wasn't good in the last three games but he bounced back and he deserves all the plaudits,” he added.

Zaragoza also hailed his team’s mentality after they overcame difficult circumstances to pick up their second away win of the season.

“We showed the winning mentality that we want,” he said.

“There is talent (in our team) but the opponents scored early and tried to slow the game down and we could not play. They played a good game. But then when the game finishes in this way, it shows the mentality of the team,” he added.

The Blues head coach expects more such tough tests for his team in the season to come as he believes ISL 2024-25 is a lot more competitive than the previous campaigns.

“The ISL is more competitive for sure this season. This season almost 11-13 teams are fighting for the top positions and it is going to be difficult to play against these teams,” he concluded.