Alexandre Guimaraes rejects the idea of Bengaluru FC being favourites

"Many people are saying that (BFC are hot favourites to win the title) because they maintain good core players and fluidity of their game is more advanced than other teams. However, this is just the beginning," Guimaraes told reporters.

"There are too many games to go. As the tournament progresses, we will see really who are the contenders for this edition of ISL. We always try to win, that’s our goal. Although we had a few upsets and injuries, that is no excuse as Bengaluru definitely played really well. But it’s a good learning experience and we now know what we need to do for our next game (against FC Goa).”

“The first game is always difficult, especially going up against a team that has played together for a longer time. But the atmosphere was fantastic and cannot be used as an excuse for what the final result is. The first half wasn’t as good as the second, as we then realized what we had to do. After the necessary changes were made, we covered up the empty spaces on the field which the other team previously used against us. Also, scoring goals is the main objective of any game and that is something we need to focus more on,” the 58-year-old Costa Rican said.