BFC look to keep momentum going

Bengaluru FC are a side not familiar with being on the losing side too often and after a demoralising 0-2 defeat against Delhi Dynamos FC a month ago, they bounced back like a champion side and have notched a five-game winning run.

With a spot in the semifinals of the Indian Super League sealed, Albert Roca's men come up against a buoyant FC Pune City (28), currently five points behind the former I-League winners in second, at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Friday.

Roca maybe tempted to rest a bulk of his top players considering their position in the standings and with an eye on the home leg of the AFC Cup play-off against Maldivian side TC Sports Club scheduled for Tuesday, but he emphasised that the momentum was key to consolidation of the top spot.

"Most important thing was to be here. Now it's about keeping momentum. We are still training to be better for us to try and keep this position. Pune are the most difficult team in the ISL at the moment," revealed the Spaniard.

"We did well in the past. Tomorrow we play Pune who I am sure will be in the play-off. Anything we can learn from the game will be good for us," he added.

Segovia joins

Earlier in the month, striker Braulio Nobrega was ruled out for the season after doing his knee in during training and BFC announced that another Spanish import -- Daniel Segovia -- had joined the side till the end of the season.

Segovia completed his first training session on Thursday and Roca expressed that it was a good move.

"We had to react and get someone in. He is a striker with a good background in different countries and we think he can help. Let's see how he can perform. Of course he's just moved and had one training session so he isn't available to us as yet."

The prolific Miku, who sat out the FC Goa game with a niggle, is on the path to recovery and is expected to lead the attacking unit with the likes of skipper Sunil Chhetri and Udanta Singh.

But the Blues will be missing the likes of the solid Harmanjot Khabra and Boithang Haokip after the duo suffered injuries in the AFC Cup victory in Male on Tuesday.

While Khabra has been a consistent fixture in the BFC defensive set-up throughout the campaign, Haokip has been making the most of the starts he has been receiving in recent times but with the depth Bengaluru possess, they may not be missed much.

For Pune, a victory in front of the Bengaluru faithful will seal their last-four berth. But assistant coach Vladica Grujic affirmed that it will not be an easy task, considering Bengaluru's form.

"Bengaluru are right now the best team in the ISL and we know of the qualities they possess. That said, tomorrow is an opportunity for us to seal progress but we are also aware of how difficult and challenging it will be against this opponent."

Brazilian Marcelinho and Emiliano Alfaro have scored 15 out of Pune's 27 goals this season and are expected to pose a real threat to the BFC backline.