Bengaluru FC have got a huge boost to their title hopes as their nearest competitors — Mohun Bagan and East Bengal — dropped points in their respective I-League matches Tuesday. The Bangalore-based side thus has a huge opportunity now to go atop the league if they manage to bag the full three points against DSK Shivajians in their I-League game Wednesday.
Winners in their debut I-League season itself, Bengaluru FC are currently a point behind Bagan, the leader. The positive thing for them is that the Kolkata giants have played two games more. With the Indian domestic league coming to its business end for the 2016 edition, the late luck could send the Bangalore outfit to bag all the glory.
"We're approaching the last two or three weeks of the season and we've got a big 10 days in front of us," BFC coach Ashley Westwood said in a press release ahead of the game. "We play DSK, then East Bengal and Salgaocar but we can only plan for the next game which is against DSK and we've done our homework and we're well prepared."
Good times are back for Bengaluru FC as they have Eugeneson Lyngdoh back in their ranks, while Indian football talisman Sunil Chhetri could also feature in the game in Pune after missing out BFC's last I-League fixture.
DSK Shivajians, meanwhile, with the experienced coach Derrick Pereira at their helm, could pose a hefty challenge to the away side. Although they have earned just 13 points from their 12 games this season, the Shivajians can bank on their recent form to cause an upset for Bengaluru FC.
Pereira's side is undefeated in their five previous games, which includes wins against East Bengal and Sporting Clube de Goa. "This is the second-last home match and I am hoping to do well. We have no worries about injuries," the confident Goan coach told the I-League website. "We will go with the same squad as it played in the last two matches."
"I am confident that we are going to have better results. It is still possible to finish in top 5 though the road is very tough. We need to be alert all the time and we need to work hard," Pereira added.
Previous encounter this season: Bengaluru FC 4-1 DSK Shivajians
Where to watch live
I-League: DSK Shivajians vs Bengaluru FC is scheduled to kick-off at 7:05 p.m. IST (1:35 p.m. GMT), April 6.
Viewers in India and the rest of the subcontinent can catch the game on Ten 2 (Ten Action).
Online streaming will be available on tensports.com.
Live scores of the match can be found on the I-League twitter handle.
