With the games coming thick and fast, Bengaluru FC will take to the field for the fifth time in 15 days as they host defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim in the AFC Cup Group H second round match at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium, on Wednesday.
Johor, who have improved leaps and bounds in the last few years, occupy the top spot in the group following their 8-1 win over Ayeyawady United in their first match while BFC are third after going down 2-1 to Lao Toyota in their opener.
The Malaysian champions are the biggest test for Bengaluru in their group and the hosts will have their work cut out for them if they are to take anything away from the match. A fact which BFC coach Ashley Westwood stressed.
“Expectations — none really. Just to go out there and give a good account of ourselves. They are the champions and a very good team. We played them last year and they have couple of changes but are as strong as they were, if not stronger. We are not going in to make the numbers. They are decent Asian side and we are one as well,” he said.
“It’s a group tournament and it’s important to advance, which ever way you do that. That’s the objective.”
The JSW-owned side are sure to have a few changes in their line up with Shankar Sampingiraj ruled out for the season and Eugeneson Lyngdoh yet to be fit while Curtis Osano and C.K. Vineeth to have a late fitness test.
Fatigue will be another hurdle for the home side and will surely play a part especially in the latter part of the game as Johor play a possession-based game which requires their opponents to chase the game, testing their stamina and concentration.
With Westwood hinting at a few changes, it will be interesting to see if Alywn George, who was included in the Indian preliminary squad for the World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, gets the nod in the middle and A. Malsawmzuala or Thoi Singh might start alongside Michael Collins in the middle.
Mario Gomez’s side, meanwhile, will be looking to feed Argentine striker Juan Lucero with the likes of Mohammad Safiq and Singaporean Hariss Harun pulling the strings in the centre while another Argentine Jorge Pereyra Diaz’s pace and ability to dribble his way out of tight situation and stretch the game wide gives them another dimension. But despite their form and squad, Gomez believes it will be a good contest and one he intends to win.
“It’s an important game. BFC are a very good team. We know they have good centre backs and one very good striker in Kim Song-Yong. Sunil Chhetri is a very technical player so they have a good team,” he remarked.
“We want to win. Draw is okay but for us it is important to win. Our target is the cup so every game is important,” he added.
