Bengaluru FC is all set to take on TC Sports Club from the Maldives in the second leg of the AFC Cup playoff round at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
Having won the first leg 3-2, they entertain the side from the Maldives knowing full well that even a draw or a 0-1 loss (courtesy of away goals) will see them through to the group stages of AFC Cup 2018. It was a hard-earned victory for Bengaluru FC in the first leg which saw Thongkhosiem Haokip net a brace and Erik Paartalu chip in with another.
TC Sports Club, on the other hand, need to get a victory. Not only that, they need to score at least a couple of goals to keep their chances alive. If, at the end of 90 minutes, the score is 3-2 in favour of the visitors then, the match will go into extra time and possibly even penalties. However, Bengaluru FC will be keen to avoid that situation and will focus on sealing the tie within regulation time.
Bengaluru FC will look to maintain their 100% record intact against Maldivian sides. However, that will be a tough task as they will be without their talisman Sunil Chhetri. Other notable absentees for the Indian outfit include Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Dimas Delgado among others. TC Sports Club will be counting on their star attacker Anatoliy Vlasichev to continue his fine goal-scoring run. Vlasichev leads the goal-scoring charts with 5 goals to his name so far.
Manager’s word
Mohamed Nizam: ”My game plan is to win the game. My target is to win the game 2-0. "As per TC's style of game, I would say we will enjoy the game as my boys’ have an attacking mentality. That is an added advantage”
Albert Roca: "I trust my squad a lot. The boys who played in the Maldives have proved what they bring to this team. It's a great opportunity for others in the squad to rise to the occasion. Tomorrow will be one of the toughest games we will play through this season. We need to focus on doing our job. They have a very good foreigner (Anatoliy) who is a solid No.10. He creates all the attacks and he could play in any other league in Asia."
Match info
Venue: Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
Kick off: 8 p.m. IST
Telecast: No telecast in India
Live stream information: AFC Facebook page (Not confirmed)
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