Bengaluru FC brought back Rahul Bheke to their squad ahead of the ongoing season and the veteran defender has certainly added value to the squad. Bheke has been leading the Blues with aplomb and has played an instrumental role in taking the club to the semi final stages of the tournament.

The 34-year-old from Mumbai has scored three goals in 23 matches of the ISL 2024-25 season. The 34-year-old has averaged 53 passes per game, winning 18 tackles, 40 aerial duels, rounding off 78 recoveries and 99 clearances too.

The Blues captain said the club would look to be at the top of their game in the first-leg semifinal against FC Goa at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Goa on Wednesday.

Bengaluru FC registered a thumping 5-0 win against Mumbai City FC in the first knockout game and they would look to carry the same show.

“We want to recover well, be at the top of our game and ready for the upcoming matches. Personally, regardless of any opposition, my task is to do my job to perfection and get the three points for my team,” Bheke highlighted his plans heading into the semi-finals, as quoted by official ISL website.

On the other hand, Bengaluru FC head coach Gerard Zaragoza said youngsters gain confidence when they train with experienced players like Rahul Bheke and Sunil Chhetri. The former Bengaluru FC captain has been in solid form, scoring 13 goals and providing two assists in 25 matches.

“We have 5-6 youngsters who are training really well and all of them have a chance to perform well. To train the whole season with people like Rahul Bheke and Sunil Chhetri makes youngsters very confident. Young players should see it as an opportunity to show their potential and take their chances like Vinith (Venkatesh) did,” Zaragoza said.