Bangalore: Bengaluru FC will face off against Tajikistan’s FC Istiklol at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here Wednesday, as both sides battle for a place in the 2017 AFC Cup final.
Having gone down 0-1 at Dushanbe in the first leg of the inter-zone play-off final, Albert Roca’s side will need to beat the Tajik champions by a two-goal margin. Coming into the game, visitors Istiklol, who arrived in the city Monday, have been boosted by the return of Ghanaian midfielder David Mawutor and Tajik midfielder Juraboev Amirbek.
Banking on their counter-attacking skills, the Tajik side managed to create a host of chances in the first leg, but were denied on most occasions by a resolute defensive performance from the Blues, who dominated possession throughout the game.
However, having been denied a penalty in the closing stages of the game, Bengaluru FC will be hoping to move on and get the desired result at the their own fortress.
Having completed a few sessions at the Kanteerava stadium here, and the return of national team players, the hosts are geared up for one of the biggest games of the season.
Speaking on the eve of the game, Roca said, “We all know the permutations and combinations now and it’s simple for us. We need to win by two goals, and so we need to get off to a good start. It won’t be easy against Istiklol who will be hard to break down, but there’s no turning back and we will go all out to get the result.”
For the record, Bengaluru haven’t lost at their home in the AFC Cup this season. “We have a good record at home this season, and it gives us a boost ahead of the game. No doubt, we will want to give the fans something to cheer about as they have been the 12th man for the side.”
Should the game finish 1-0 to the Blues at the end of regulation time, extra-time will be played followed by penalty kicks.
Indo-Asian News Service