Bengaluru FC resume their AFC Cup 2021 campaign with a Group D match against Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh at Maldives National Football Stadium in Male on Saturday, August 21.
The Sunil Chhetri-led Bengaluru team made a losing start to their AFC Cup group stage journey after suffering a 0-2 defeat to their Indian Super League rivals, ATK Mohun Bagan.
The Blues struggled from the outset against ATK Mohun Bagan as the Mariners, with their new signings, pressed high to win possession and were clinical in the final third. The Blues conceded once each in both halves and failed to penetrate ATK Mohun Bagan’s defence in either half.
Bashundhara Kings, on the other hand, got off to a winning start in their maiden AFC Cup campaign. They scored twice to get the better of Maziya Sports & Recreation Club of Maldives.
Their head coach, Oscar Bruzon knows the importance of the win, as his team now has the upper hand against a Bengaluru team in desperate need of points. Even a draw against Marco Pezzaiuoli’s Bengaluru FC would get them closer to qualification for the inter-zone semi-finals.
“The only thing that is clear now is that we are alive until the last game,” said Bashundhara Kings head coach Oscar Bruzon after their win against Maziya.
“For Maziya, it’s do or die, if they want to qualify, they will need to win their two games and it’s the same picture for Bengaluru. As for Mohun Bagan and us, even if we lose the second game we are still alive for the last round and that is fantastic,” he added.
That said, Bengaluru FC are more than capable of turning things around. They have an abundance of experience in continental competitions in recent years and will be hoping that the likes of Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva and speedster Udanta Singh can raise their game after underwhelming displays against ATK Mohun Bagan.
Bengaluru FC squad for AFC Cup 2021
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthuammawia Ralte, Lara Sharma, Sharon Padattil
Defenders: Pratik Chaudhari, Wungngayam Muirang, Ajith Kumar, Ashique Kuruniyan, Parag Shrivas, Yrondu Musavu-King, Biswa Darjee, Alan Costa, Sarthak Golui
Midfielders: Suresh Wangjam, Namgyal Bhutia, Jayesh Rane, Danish Farooq, Rohit Kumar, Muhammad Inayath, Ajay Chhetri
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Cleiton Silva, Leon Augustine, Naorem Roshan Singh, Bidyashagar Singh, Sivasakthi Narayanan, Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh
Where to watch Bengaluru FC vs Bashundhara Kings live in India?
The Bengaluru FC vs Bashundhara Kings AFC Cup 2021 Group D match will be telecast live from 4:30 PM IST on Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi and their corresponding HD TV channels in India. For regional commentary, you can switch to Star Sports 1 Bangla and Star Sport 3.
Live streaming of the Bengaluru FC vs Bashundhara Kings match will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.
Featured photo: Twitter / Bengaluru FC
