Kolkata, Nov 26 (PTI) Mohammedan SC will be desperate to register their maiden home win of the season when they host Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League here on Wednesday.
The 12th-placed MSC, competing in their debut ISL season, has suffered three defeats in their previous five matches, along with a success and a draw each.
On the other hand, BFC has been on a solid ride this season, winning five games and drawing twice. They have collected 17 points from eight contests and sit second in the standings.
Bengaluru is in a close battle with table leaders and defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who also possesses a similar tally -– 17 points from eight fixtures.
While The Blues look like the favourite for this tie, the Black Panthers, coming off a goalless draw to city rival East Bengal FC, would want to ride that momentum and go a step further to eventually triumph in a home outing.
No side to date has failed to grab a win in its five home meetings, a record that Andrey Chernyshov and co will be desperate to avoid.
The only consolation they can attain is that Bengaluru’s only loss this season came in an away match — versus FC Goa.
MSC tend to take some time to settle into the proceedings, having conceded four goals in the opening 15 minutes of the contests this ISL — the highest by any side this season.
The hosts will have to hold their ground early, especially since BFC has also scored on four occasions in this phase of the ongoing campaign.
Meanwhile, success in this fixture will mark only the second time The Blues would bag 20-plus points after their opening nine engagements in an ISL season (23 points in 2018-19).
They have performed as a cohesive unit under Gerard Zaragoza this season, netting 13 goals and conceding just six, thus maintaining a sufficient stronghold over most clashes.
Also, Bengaluru has drawn and lost twice in its previous five outings while facing a side for the first time in the event.
With this being the maiden encounter between the two in the tournament, The Blues will be hoping to change that record with a victory here Ahead of the meeting, MSC head coach Chernyshov heralded BFC and its dominant style of play this season.
“We will play against one of the best teams at the moment. They are very strong and have started the season perfectly. Their style of football makes them one of the best teams in the ISL,” Chernyshov said.
Meanwhile, Zaragoza, highlighted his players’ hard work on their technical and tactical movements, especially during the international break.
“The break was good. We prefer playing matches but breaks help us look at things technically and tactically. The good thing is that we had the whole squad training with us this week,” Zaragoza noted.
Bengaluru’s Sunil Chhetri holds an impeccable record of netting against each of the 14 sides he has faced in the competition.
Scoring versus the Black Panthers will make him the first player in the ISL’s history to do so against 15 different opponents.
Kick-off: 7.30 pm IST. PTI AYG APA APA
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