Bengaluru FC has fought and won many battles at home but the biggest one awaits it on Monday night at the Sree Kanteerava stadium, a place it calls The Fortress.
Bengaluru FC captain Sunil Chhetri (left) and striker Miku during a training session on Sunday
Bangalore:
It needs the full points here. It needs to keep its reputation intact as it faces NorthEast United FC in the decisive second leg semi-final.
In what was a game of two halves at Guwahati in the first leg, Carles Cuadrat and his men were handed a 1-2 loss by the Highlanders. The defeat meant the Blue’s poor run of late has continued with its last five fixtures yielding just the single victory and three defeats. A draw now won’t do.
“We’re ready for a big game. We’re in a good mood and we have the feeling that here in Kanteerava in front of the supporters, we can give them one of the nights that we will remember through the years,” said Cuadrat.
Bengaluru will be buoyed by the crucial away goal scored by Xisco Hernandez at Guwahati as it looks to enter the final for a second year in a row. The away goal means a solitary goal victory should be fine for the Super Cup champion. Anything less will see the favourite crash out.
The Bengaluru coach will look towards his main men, Miku and Sunil Chhetri, to step up at home as the Blues look to overturn a one-goal deficit. For NorthEast United, coach Eelco Schattorie will need to stretch his resources to the hilt after a fine victory which came at a cost. Having made it to the play-offs for the first time in its history, NorthEast will have to make do without the services of its star forward Bartholomew Ogbeche in Bengaluru.
The Nigerian forward picked up a hamstring injury in the first-leg and he will be a big miss for the visitor on Sunday. The visitor is also sweating on the fitness of its midfielder Rowllin Borges who was replaced in the second-half at Guwahati due to an injury. With Ogbeche out, NorthEast will look towards Federico Gallego for inspiration with the industrious Uruguayan playmaker being one of the driving forces behind the side’s march to the play-offs. Gallego’s partnership with his compatriot Juan Mascia up top will be crucial to the visitor’s chances with the latter likely to start in Ogbeche’s absence after his late winner from the penalty spot in Guwahati.
Both coaches know this is the decisive clash. Both will be without their deputies after they were suspended for their role in the fracas that followed the first-leg clash at Guwahati. Both know there is just too much at stake now.
Sree Kanteerava is Bengaluru’s Fortress for a reason. Teams think twice before dreaming of picking up points here; many have tried and failed, and several times in the past Bengaluru has shown that it can rise to the occasion. Will it rise one final time at home this season in the Indian Super League?
It needs the full points here. It needs to keep its reputation intact as it faces NorthEast United FC in the decisive second leg semi-final.
In what was a game of two halves at Guwahati in the first leg, Carles Cuadrat and his men were handed a 1-2 loss by the Highlanders. The defeat meant the Blue’s poor run of late has continued with its last five fixtures yielding just the single victory and three defeats. A draw now won’t do.
“We’re ready for a big game. We’re in a good mood and we have the feeling that here in Kanteerava in front of the supporters, we can give them one of the nights that we will remember through the years,” said Cuadrat.
Bengaluru will be buoyed by the crucial away goal scored by Xisco Hernandez at Guwahati as it looks to enter the final for a second year in a row. The away goal means a solitary goal victory should be fine for the Super Cup champion. Anything less will see the favourite crash out.
The Bengaluru coach will look towards his main men, Miku and Sunil Chhetri, to step up at home as the Blues look to overturn a one-goal deficit. For NorthEast United, coach Eelco Schattorie will need to stretch his resources to the hilt after a fine victory which came at a cost. Having made it to the play-offs for the first time in its history, NorthEast will have to make do without the services of its star forward Bartholomew Ogbeche in Bengaluru.
The Nigerian forward picked up a hamstring injury in the first-leg and he will be a big miss for the visitor on Sunday. The visitor is also sweating on the fitness of its midfielder Rowllin Borges who was replaced in the second-half at Guwahati due to an injury. With Ogbeche out, NorthEast will look towards Federico Gallego for inspiration with the industrious Uruguayan playmaker being one of the driving forces behind the side’s march to the play-offs. Gallego’s partnership with his compatriot Juan Mascia up top will be crucial to the visitor’s chances with the latter likely to start in Ogbeche’s absence after his late winner from the penalty spot in Guwahati.
Both coaches know this is the decisive clash. Both will be without their deputies after they were suspended for their role in the fracas that followed the first-leg clash at Guwahati. Both know there is just too much at stake now.