ISL, Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United FC preview: Tight battle on the cards between unbeaten teams

Bengaluru FC and NorthEast United will look to keep their unbeaten starts to the seasos intact when they face each other in the Indian Super League at the Fatorda Stadium in Goa on Tuesday.

Both teams are coming off morale-boosting wins. Bengaluru notched up their first win of the campaign against Chennaiyin FC while NorthEast got back to winning ways with a victory over SC East Bengal after two straight draws.

With ATK Mohun Bagan’s perfect start to the season coming to an end on Monday at the hands of Jamshedpur FC, these two are among the three unbeaten teams so far in season seven (apart from Hyderabad FC).

NEUFC are placed third on the table with eight points. On the other hand, Bengaluru notched up their first win of the campaign against Chennaiyin FC after being held to draws in their opening two fixtures. They have five points from three outings and occupy the fifth spot in the 11-team table.

The match will likely pit Bengaluru’s defence against NorthEast’s attack. While the Blues have been solid at the back, they are yet to score from open play. The Highlanders, on the other hand, have scored in every game they have played so far.

Bengaluru coach Carles Cuadrat knows his team is in for a tough match, but stated that he had all the confidence in his team’s abilities. There has been criticism of the team’s lack of goals, for starters while the style of play has also not been the most eye-catching. The Blues have had a total of 23 shots in their three matches combined and made

“It’s going to be a very tactical match because they are a very well-organised team,” he said.

“In three games, we have two clean sheets. I think we are showing a lot of consistency in defence. We look like a very well-organised team.”

“During my time as Bengaluru coach, we have only lost one time against Chennai, we have never lost against Goa. What I mean is that it’s very clear that we are a very consistent team with a clear plan. It’s very difficult to play against us. At the same time, we know that we have room for improvement and that is what we are trying to do,” Cuadrat added.

One of the early surprise stories of the season, NEUFC coach Gerard Nus is planning to play to his team’s strengths and will not change the way they play on Tuesday.

“There are things that are principal to our style that we will not change because we believe in those. There are things that we will have to take into consideration regarding the opponents. So obviously it’s a mix,” he said.

NEUFC have never beaten their opponents in the league stage before and on current form, this is a great opportunity for Nus to set that record straight. But he is not underestimating his opponents despite their less-than-stellar start to the season.

“The truth is that Bengaluru won the title two years ago. They were in the playoffs last season. That tells you already how good they are. They’re a massive side. I’m really concerned about the game tomorrow because we did not have a long time to prepare. We played two days ago. But it doesn’t matter. That’s the way it is and we are going to fight from the first minute till the last,” he said.