For nearly an hour, Tomasz Tchorz's men showed just how far they have come, matching a considerably strengthened Bengaluru side before eventually going down 2-3 in a thrilling season opener.

It was hardly the performance of a team that had narrowly escaped finishing at the bottom of the table last season.

While many expected Bengaluru to dictate proceedings and Delhi to adopt a defensive approach, the visitors refused to play the part of underdogs. They matched the hosts' intensity, pressed with purpose and showed the confidence to attack whenever possession changed hands.

Their reward came in the first half as they responded daringly after Borja Martinez put Bengaluru ahead. Rodriguinho equalised in the 26th minute before a Menno Koch own goal six minutes later gave Delhi a deserved 2-1 advantage.

That confidence was hardly surprising as Delhi had already offered evidence of their improvement during the Durand Cup, reaching the semifinals and holding eventual champions East Bengal to a goalless draw before losing 5-3 on penalties.

For Tchorz, the transformation has been made possible by continuity, greater competition within the squad and the club management's willingness to back his project despite a disappointing debut campaign.

"I'm very grateful for being heard by the management of our club, and I'm very grateful for the trust and opportunity that the management decided to continue working together," the Polish coach said.

"They didn't need to, because they could use the clause to terminate the contract after the first season. And this is something that is showing me that they believe in what we do."

However, the visitors could not sustain their first-half intensity once Bengaluru brought their much-improved bench into play. Delhi gradually retreated, spending long periods chasing possession rather than using the ball to relieve pressure.

Borja's second goal restored parity in the 75th minute before Koch completed the comeback with an 89th-minute header. Tchorz acknowledged the decline but refused to attribute it to fitness alone.

"What I missed in the second half was playing on the ball. Because in the first half, we had some good actions and we could harm the opponent with the ball," he said.

"In difficult moments, you have to stay focused, you have to stay consistent, and you have to stay more compact -- both in possession and out of possession."

Despite the defeat, the coach believes Delhi have every reason to aim higher than mere survival.

"My objective last season, top six; this season is also top six," he said. "We played against Bengaluru a competitive game today. We played against East Bengal a competitive game again in the Durand Cup. We played against Jamshedpur... we won the game, we are competitive. So why not believe?"