It has been a difficult few days for the people of Bengaluru. With politics rearing its ugly head once again, the city has been rocked by incidents of street violence, arson and vandalism.
It was not just normal life that came to a standstill; football was also caught in the crossfire.
You could almost be forgiven for not remembering that away from all the noise and disturbances, Bengaluru FC were gearing up for the biggest match in their three-year history. You could forgive the loyal fans - usually seen enveloping the Kanteerava Stadium in a sea of blue hours before kick-off - for staying in.
You could even forgive the match officials for deciding that the first leg of the AFC Cup quarterfinal against Singapore side Tampines Rovers be played behind closed doors. This was, after all, just a football match, and with a curfew already in place in the city, it made sense not to risk anymore untoward incidents.
The show had to go on, but this meant that Bengaluru FC's big day was a muted affair. New coach Albert Roca's first game in charge would be met by dozens of security personnel dressed in black, rather than delirious supporters chanting "Blues go marching in".
Besides the players, match officials and security personnel, there are a handful of journalists in the stadium, all glued to their laptop and smartphones. The DJ occasionally tries to get the mood going by playing some popular tunes, but to little or no avail. There is far more interest in speculating what sort of symphony Roca will be conducting on the pitch.
Roca, after all, comes to Bengaluru with high expectations, having worked with Frank Rijkaard in Barcelona. In his first appearance to the media, while categorically saying that tiki-taka had to wait, Roca did promise to introduce India to a new and attractive style of football.
The players eventually take to the field. Three new signings in Bengaluru's XI, with defender Juan Antonio, and midfielders Cameron Watson and Alvaro Rubio all getting nods. The team-sheet suggests a 4-4-1-1, with captain Sunil Chhetri and CK Vineeth leading the attack, but you don't know for sure.
Kick-off.
Tampines begin on the front foot, posing Bengaluru's defence a few early questions. But on the touchline, Roca, dressed in white, is unperturbed. It's clear that he has come out with a game plan, and that his players have all memorised their lines.
The hosts win possession of the ball, and no sooner they do so, Antonio booms forward. He's not recklessly abandoning his post next to crowd favourite centre-back John Johnson. Instead, Antonio and left-back Nishu Kumar are overloading the midfield, with Watson dropping back as part of a defensive three.
Suddenly, Tampines, their tactics already out the door, are playing catch up. Bengaluru, now with a numerical advantage in the centre, keep pressing up high in the field, hoping to dispossess Tampines in a dangerous area and release one of Chhetri or Vineeth for a counter.
They eventually succeed, with Chhetri playing Alwyn George through on goal, and Vineeth rewarded for his support run by pouncing on the loose ball to convert and give the hosts the lead.
1-0 Bengaluru FC. 1-0 Albert Roca.
Roca had conceded on the eve of the match that losing out on the vocal home support was a big blow, but insisted that his team would have "no excuses" for their performance on Wednesday.
You can sense that Roca is a coach who is firm in his beliefs, and that he never compromises on them. At press conferences, his responses are slow and deliberate, and often said only after consulting with the media officer to ensure nothing is lost in translation.
"We targeted Tampines' best players and tried to prevent them from getting the ball," Roca later explained. "Don't let them get comfortable. It was good for us, because our defence was very good."
The "best players" Roca was referring to included former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, and Canadian forward Jordan Webb. Pennant was restricted to a few ineffective set-pieces, while Rubio and Watson ensured the supply to Webb was cut off.
To say Bengaluru FC beat Tampines Rovers would be an understatement. They battered them. Physically, mentally, tactically.
Bengaluru were first to every loose ball, won every 50-50 -- sometimes even the 51-49s -- and played the game at their pace. And they did it all while implementing a new and attractive style of football, just as Roca had promised.
Bengaluru's performance is all the more incredible when you consider that the hosts have not played a competitive game since February, while Tampines are already deep into their domestic season. If there were questions around how Bengaluru might respond to their new coach's methods, and if they were distracted by the recent events in the city, they answered them all emphatically.
It's difficult to exactly pin-point what kind of football Bengaluru were playing. It was neither tiki-taka -- Tampines enjoyed sterile possession for large parts of the game -- nor Total Football, despite various players interchanging positions.
And that's understandable. Both tiki-taka and Total Football take years and years to master and perfectly execute. Johan Cruyff has spoken of how he and his Dutch teammates needed several training sessions to understand each other's movements. Pep Guardiola has gone on record explaining how each and every aspect of his team's game is meticulously planned out, with his midfielders instructed to create triangles and pass the opposition out of the game. That kind of team chemistry and pass mastery does not happen overnight.
Considering that Bengaluru have had barely a little over two months with Roca, his signature is already visible, though he himself admits there are flaws to iron out.
"Our strong point is always keeping the ball in control and dictating the tempo. Yes, we know we conceded some chances, but that's my mentality and where I come from. I would much rather prefer to win 5-4 than 1-0.
"We won't go defensive in Singapore either. Our intention is to always score a goal. We need to play at the same level we did today, and to not panic. Keep the ball in control, and defend with the ball, not without.
"As a coach, I'm really happy with the performance, but the result could have been different. Some of the players were tired towards the end, but that's expected."
It's hard to disagree with any of Roca's assessments. The "chances" Bengaluru conceded were a direct result of his tactics, as using the high-press meant Tampines could bypass the midfield with one, precise through ball. Fortunately for the hosts, Tampines' forwards spurned the few opportunities that fell their way.
The "chances" Bengaluru created were also forged as a result of Roca's game plan. With a one-goal lead and five-minutes left on the clock, you would expect a team to sit back, see out the remaining minutes, to simply hoof whatever is sent in to the box.
But not Roca. Not this Bengaluru.
Antonio and Johnson did not just clean up everything that was hurled their way, they even recycled the ball back to their midfielders to start new attacks.
Watson, playing the more withdrawn role, would always have options either side of him, and he'd pick one with utmost ease. Rubio would then collect the ball, twist and turn past opposition players, exchange passes with a full-back, and then feed one in the direction of the forwards.
It wasn't all pretty, but when it worked, it was champagne football worthy of "Ole"s, not the sound of reporters ferociously typing away at their keyboards.
Tampines' coach Akbar Nawas later admitted that his side was completely outplayed by Bengaluru, and that they were fortunate not to be beaten by a larger score -- thanks in a large part to Chhetri's poor finishing.
"We were just not good enough," he said. "It was a tale of two halves. We started very slow and just couldn't get our game going. Maybe we underestimated Bengaluru. We did try to get a goal, and play how we wanted to play in the second half. But that's not good enough.
"Bengaluru played really well, but I'm not pleased with how we lost the ball in our own midfield and defensive third."
Bengaluru has had very little to cheer for lately, sports or otherwise. But for one evening, away from all the gloom, there was a little bit of Spanish Delight in the city.
And no doubt, there is more to come in the days and months ahead.