Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza shared his delight at his team securing a crucial 2-0 victory over NorthEast United FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong on Friday.

The Blues’ offensive trio of Edgar Mendez, Ryan Williams, and Alberto Noguera were involved in both goals as NorthEast United FC suffered back-to-back losses on their home turf. With that, Bengaluru FC is now unbeaten in each of their last six ISL matches against NorthEast United FC, their joint-longest such run in the league.

The visitors broke the deadlock early thanks to Williams’ goal inside the box. Noguera placed a beautiful lay-off for the Aussie forward in open space, and Williams made no mistake in registering his sixth goal of the ongoing season with a perfect strike.

However, the Highlanders created numerous chances throughout the match through Alaaeddine Ajaraie, Nestor Albiach, and Macarton Louis Nickson. A resilient Bengaluru FC defensive line and Lalthuammawia Ralte’s impactful performance between the posts were instrumental in thwarting the hosts’ attacking threats.

Zaragoza, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, seemed pleased with his players’ spirited performance. Speaking at the post-match press conference, the Bengaluru FC head coach said,

“Now let me enjoy a little bit of the birthday present that the players gave to me. I'm happy because we are here again. Two games, two clean sheets, five goals. Good.”

The Spaniard highlighted the Blues' all-around efforts in Shillong, resulting in a crucial victory away from home. Despite the Blues having only 37% ball possession, Zaragoza’s men were clinical upfront while being resolute at the back.

“The good thing is that we returned to our place in the last two games. We always talk about the four up front, Edgar (Mendez), Sunil (Chhetri), Ryan (Williams), and Noguera, but the back four today were amazing,” he stated.

“(Naorem) Roshan did one game against Ajaraie. Man to man, it’s amazing. On the other side, the two centre-backs of the national team, Rahul (Bheke) and Chinglensana (Singh), were at an amazing level,” he added.

Following this win, the Blues climb to the fourth spot with 34 points from 14 games, reigniting their top-four hopes. Zaragoza wanted his players to continue their recent peak form ahead of the playoff round.

“It's the moment to be like this because now it's arriving in the play-off. We hope that we will be in the playoffs, and to be like this now, it's very good,” he remarked.

Zaragoza acknowledged NorthEast United FC’s offensive strength, highlighting their overall squad depth. He commended the Blues' collective efforts to prevent Ajaraie, who is the leading goalscorer of the ongoing ISL season, from finding the back of the net.

“NorthEast United FC are a very good team. They have a good coach, and it's difficult to play against them,” he said.

“It's difficult to stop Ajaraie, it's difficult to stop him from scoring goals. And to come here, to win 0-2, it's not an easy job, and today we did it, and I'm too proud of my players,” Zaragoza signed off.

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Bengaluru FCNorthEast United FC2024-2025