Dimas, BFC's man with the solutions

As Dimas Delgado speaks, his words are measured and well thought out, like the passes he pings all across the field.

At 37, he is the experienced head his team looks to. Carles Cuadrat, coach of Bengaluru FC, points to him as the one who 'gives us a sense to the way we play'. He is also the one, with whom 'there is always solution'.

"I love to have the ball," says Dimas. "If you feel under pressure, pass the ball to me. I don't have any problem with that responsibility because I'm confident I can play under pressure."

A passing midfielder with roots in Barcelona, Dimas has been the man tasked to dictate the game since he came to Bengaluru, three seasons ago.

He was the heartbeat and the prime mover under Albert Roca's swashbuckling team that romped to the final of the ISL in his first year. Under Cuadrat, his role has been modified.

Yes, he still runs the game - his game intelligence allowing him to change the tempo of the game - but the onus is on finding the fast attacker on his side. Attacking on transition has been a big option for the team this past two seasons. It's a change, Dimas believes, brought about by necessity.

"Our philosophy has not changed much. We are still trying to keep the ball, but now people know how to press. In the beginning, they didn't. So sometimes it's not easy when they are pressing high. So we play direct because we have the equipment. Udanta (Singh), Ashique (Kuruniyan) and Sunil (Chhetri) are all fast players and we can take advantage of that," he says.

Dimas' numbers remain strong as well. He has played every league game this season, scoring one goal and assisting five more. His 1099 passes and 1267 touches put him atop the list at his club and third in the league. His set-pieces have been the major source of goals for the Blues.

However, despite his lofty standards, BFC's attacking options have been less than ideal with injuries taking a toll and the ones on the field struggling to convert their chances. Chhetri remains their only constant goal threat.

But their stingy defence, best in the league, and mentality have seen them through to the semifinals. And it comes down from the experienced heads.

"We're a club that are used to winning things. It's a pressure we love," says the former Numancia medio.

Having faced ATK twice already this season and scored in the latest one as well, the midfielder is aware of the magnitude of the contest ahead.

"I think it will be a game where we have to win every action. It will be a battle in every area and we have to be 100 percent to win all our battles. That's the main thing to success, no? You can't give up till the whistle is blown," he stresses.

Against ATK, BFC will need to do just that.