Bengaluru FC ends Spain tour with 3-0 loss to Barcelona B

In the eventual one-sided contest at Mini Estadi in Barcelona, the Indian club unravels in the second half after being vigilant in the first.

Sunil Chhetri (centre) of Bengaluru FC in action against Barcelona B on Tuesday. Photo: Special Arrangement

Bengaluru FC stumbled to a 3-0 defeat against Barcelona B in the final match of its tour of Spain at Mini Estadi in Barcelona on Tuesday.

It was a contest of contrasting halves as the visitor was vigilant and tight in the first half and then unravelled in the second. Monchu’s opening goal in the 55th minute was followed by two goals from Carles Perez to widen the gulf and complete a comprehensive victory.

Quick goals

A string of quick passes seemed to unsettle the Indian team as it conceded two goals in seven minutes around the hour-mark. The first was a stunning strike from a distance from Monchu before Perez doubled the lead from a narrow angle from the left. In the 73rd minute, Perez took advantage of a fatigued backline of the visiting team to score his second goal. Despite a few personnel changes on the pitch made by head coach Carlos Cuadrat in a bid to increase its attacking force, Barcelona B held on to its 3-0 lead.

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In the four friendly matches played in its tour, Bengaluru FC fielded a total of 23 players. The team, which netted twice in the opening two games, was forced into a defensive game in the clashes against Villarreal B and Barcelona B.

After returning to Bengaluru on Thursday, the club’s next assignment will be to host Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr FK in the first leg of the 2018 AFC Cup Inter-Zone semifinal at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on August 22.