Match facts
When: Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Start time: 7 pm IST (1330 GMT)
Where: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore
Big picture
Three days after their high-voltage draw at the Kanteerava Stadium in the I-League, Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan will meet again, in the first game of the AFC Cup group stages.
Bengaluru FC's coach Albert Roca has plenty to prove after what has been a very disappointing league campaign. He will relish the opportunity to start from scratch in a competition he has fond memories of, having guided almost the exact same set of players to the final of the AFC Cup last season. This season, though, the team's confidence and the personnel have seen a downward spiral.
With central defender John Johnson and left-back Nishu Kumar returning to the team, BFC have their back-line sorted, but it's the attack that has failed to perform. With just 48 hours of rest, new signing Marjan Jugovic, CK Vineeth and Mandar Rao Desai might get a shout in the first XI. BFC's biggest challenge, though, is to step up and take their chances.
Bagan come into this contest having never lost at the Kanteerava stadium. Sanjoy Sen has previously said that he prioritises the I-League over the AFC Cup, but there is little doubt that he and his players will be licking their lips at the prospect of pouncing on a broken BFC side.
With fatigue being the talking point in this particular fixture, Sanjoy is likely to bring on Jeje Lalpekhlua and Prabir Das, who were both second half substitutes on Saturday. Bagan's defensive pair of Eduardo Ferreira and Anas Edathodika has been under fire all season and if BFC bring in fresh legs to lead the line, Bagan might be in for a tough time.
With Bengaluru's possession-based approach likely to nullify Bagan's midfield, Sanjoy Sen's team might prefer using the wings to launch attacks, meaning the roles of Sony Norde and Prabir will be crucial.
In the spotlight
Prabir Das has been Bagan's shining light all season, with his pace and distribution helping the midfield form better partnerships with the forward line. If Prabir, who played less than 20 minutes on Saturday, gets the nod, BFC's left flank of Mandar and Nishu Kumar could have their work cut out for them.
With BFC's first-choice keeper Amrinder Singh out injured, Arindam Bhattacharya stepped up and pulled off several spectacular saves on Saturday to earn the Man-of-the-Match award. As BFC's defence is still shaky, Arindam, who recently got called up to the national team, will be crucial in once again stopping Bagan's explosive forward line.
Form guide (Most recent first)
Bengaluru FC: DDWLD
Mohun Bagan: DDLWD
What they said
"I expect the same performance from Bagan; they defended really well and created opportunities when they could. It's a second game in four days but you never see my players go down with cramps like you see in the other teams every week. My players have shown that they never give up and they will try to do the same or even better tomorrow as we begin the AFC Cup."
- Albert Roca, Bengaluru FC coach
"The positive for us was the defence. Last few games we have conceded few goals. We were able to stop the wing play. I am happy with the performance of our two central midfielders, Sehnaj (Singh) and Souvik (Chakraborty). Sehnaj is coming back from injury, Pronay (Halder)and Bikramjit (Singh) are also injured. I have had to shuffle the midfield quite a bit."
- Sanjoy Sen after the goalless draw against Benglauru on Saturday.