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Bengaluru FC drew first blood against Mumbai City FC in their Indian Super League 2022-23 semifinal clash by taking a 1-0 lead away from home in the first leg. On Sunday (March 12), the Blues host the League Shield winners at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium for the return leg.
The Islanders were in prime position to run away with the tie after their blistering start to the first leg. However, Simon Grayson's men kept their cool and dug deep to display some of the finest pieces of counter-attacking football.
They were happy to let the Islanders enjoy possession while they plotted for the opportune moment to strike. The moment came in the 78th minute through talismanic captain Sunil Chhetri. The veteran forward expertly judged and nudged a corner from Naorem Roshan Singh to give the visitors an all-important lead.
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With a narrow victory, the Blues extended their winning streak to 10 matches while more importantly securing a massive advantage going into the second leg.
Meanwhile, for the Islanders and Des Buckingham, the loss and most importantly the indecisiveness in front of the goal spelled trouble. After going unbeaten for 18 straight matches, Mumbai City have now suffered their third defeat on the trot. The league toppers will have to return to the chalkboard after a night of squandered chances.
Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC: Team News
Both teams have no significant injury concerns and should be able to field their strongest starting lineups. While Bengaluru might stick to their previous XI, Des Buckingham might look to shuffle his personnel.
Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC: Predicted Lineups
BFC: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Sandesh Jhingan, Aleksandar Jovanovic, Prabir Das, Rohit Kumar, Suresh Wangjam, Naorem Roshan Singh, Javi Hernandez, Bruno Ramires, Roy Krishna, Sivasakthi Narayanan.
MCFC: Phurba Lachenpa, Sanjeev Stallin, Mourtada Fall, Mehtab Singh, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Apuia, Greg Stewart, Ahmed Jahouh, Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Bipin Singh.
Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC: Prediction
Given the resilience and patience Bengaluru showed in the first leg, it's quite difficult to bet against the Blues. Further pushed on by the home supporters, Grayson's men might be able to silence the MCFC attack for one final time this season.
All BFC need is a win or a draw to secure a berth in the finale. However, Des Buckingham has instilled a champions' mentality in this Mumbai side and they will not be pushovers on Sunday.
Prediction: Bengaluru FC 0-2 Mumbai City FC (1-2 on aggregate)
